BLUEBERRY INSECTS IN MAINE. 283 



rows out a tunnel at right angles to the other, starting from the 

 center and ending at some point on the circumference. If one 

 berry does not contain enough food and 2 are webbed togethet", 

 invariably the larva makes its way to the surface of the first 

 one by a trail precisely similar to this, and fastening the second 

 very securely to this point by silk attachments, continues the 

 trail into it. 



NATURAL ENEMIES. - - 



In 19 1 3 this insect was attacked by parasites to a very consM- 

 erable extent, which greatly reduced its numbers. Mr. E. K. 

 Richmond of Cornell University kindly identified this for nie 

 as an Ichneumonid, Pimpla sp. near P. indagatrh' Walsh from 

 which it differs in coloration. Adults emerged between July 2b 

 and August 22, 1913, and at corresponding dates in 1914 and 

 1915. 



The larva is white or slightly pinkish and emerges from the 

 caterpillar when the latter is nearly full grown, but before it has 

 left the fruit. If 2 berries have been webbed together the larva 

 of the parasite, if present, will always be found lying in the 

 trail between the 2, half in one and half in the other. The 

 pupa is pure white. In 7 instances the writer has been able to 

 determine the pupal period exactly; it varied from 5 days to 11 

 days, and averaged nearly 8 days. A larva found in the fruit on 

 August II, 1914, formed its pupa on August 14 and emerged as 

 an adult on August '21. This may be considered as fairly typi- 

 cal. 



Often the head or shriveled skin of the caterpillar may be 

 found in the same berry as the larva of the parasite. A careful 

 examination usually shows a minute puncture in tbe skin of the 

 fruit ; this is probably made by the ovipositor of the adult female 

 and, therefore, this is beyond reasonable doubt a larval parasite. 

 A female is illustrated in figure 62 D. 



The Blueberry Damsel-Bug Nabis rufusculus Reut. 



DISTRIBUTION AND HOST PLANTS. 



The writer has taken this species (Hemiptera, Nabidae) in 

 Orono, Cherryfield and Unity ; it is probably distributed through- 



