GALL MITES. 355 



CASE Soc. Ent. France) that this 'was probably due to innumerable 

 quantities of the larvae of a mite, which, from his description, can 

 be no other than a Phytoptus. The dust is probably the exuvi^, 

 or cast skins of the vast numbers of this mite. 



Phytoptus ribis {Weslw., Gard. Cliron. 1869).— 8. Specimens of currant 

 buds attacked by ; 9. Sketch of ditto ; 10. Magnified sketch of first 

 stage of mite ; 11. Magnified sketch of next stage. 



For some years past the currant bushes in England and appa- 

 rently still more in Scotland, have suffered much from the de- 



Currant buds attacked by Phytoptus ribis. 



struction of the immature buds by this species. It is found in 

 hundreds in the buds in spring between the young leaflets that 

 overlap each other, feeding on the sap in them, and causing the 

 buds to shrivel up, thus destroying the future flower or branch. 

 One of the few points beyond the above that we know of their 

 economy, viz., that they are already present in the month of 

 November in the buds forming for next year's crop, suggests close 

 and severe pruning as a likely means of destroying, and, if not 

 extirpating, at least diminishing this pest. 



z 2 



