32 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



vineyard next to a lot of sumac and other bushes, was so badly 

 infested by this worm, that no attempt was made to pick it. The 

 wild growth was cut away last winter and burned, and the fruit 

 on these rows was no more infested this year than that of any 

 other section of the vineyard. 



We therefore advise clean culture, specially the destruction of 

 bordering hedges and adjacent miscellaneous forest growths and 

 the burning of debris in a vineyard, in order to lessen shelters 

 where the insect may pass the winter. It is advisable to locate 

 vineyards when possible at some distance from woods, and where- 

 ever they are infested to any extent by this pest, spray with an 

 arsenical at least once after blossoming. 



NATURAL ENEMIES 



This serious grapevine pest is subject to attack by several 

 natural enemies. Two interesting species of egg parasites, bear- 

 ing the scientific names Fidiobia flavipes Ashm. and 

 Brachystijcha fidiae Ashm., were bred from eggs of 

 this insect by Professor Webster in 1894, and in 1896 he ex- 

 pressed the belief that a marked decrease in numbers of the 

 Fidia was possibly due to the work of these parasites. Pro- 

 fessor Webster also observed a small brown ant, L a s i u s 

 brunneus var. a 1 i e n u s , feeding on the eggs, and a 

 small mite, provisionally identified for Professor Webster by Dr 

 George Marx, as Tyroglyphus phylloxerae P. & R., 

 extracting the contents of several eggs in succession, and also 

 a smaller mite resembling Hoplophora arctata Riley. 

 Another mite, Heteropus ventricosus Newport, was 

 met with by Professor Webster in 1896 who credits it with being 

 quite destructive to the eggs of this pest. One of these small 

 mites, probably a species of Tyroglyphus, was observed in our 

 breeding cages feeding on the pupae, one being almost entirely 

 destroyed. 



Several predaceous insects were found by us during field 

 work, specially when digging for larvae in the early spring. The 

 grubs of some carabid beetle were observed to be about two 

 thirds as numerous as those of Fidia during the last of April, 

 and it is very probable that they prey on this species. We 

 were unable to bring any of the carabids to maturity. A small 

 beetle, Staphylinus vulpinus Nordm., was associated 



