Iiiseci'^, etc., Injurious to Currants. 



205 



(proljably thu time is varialikO a iiiiiuite \\-hite larva conios fortli, 

 rle-vours its ct^g-shell, bores its way into tlie pith, olteu lirst \v(.irkin;4 

 its way into a tender side-slioot of old bnslies. Tliis small shoot 

 soon dies and tails oil', and in many cases leaves beliind a small hijh' 

 in the stem, or the bud dies in a similar way. ()n reaching the pitli 

 the lar\"a works both n|)wards and downwards, Init in all the damaged 

 shoots 1 have exanuned the white larva lias liad its head pointing 

 upwards. 



In this position the cater[iillar remains during the winter. The 

 lar\'a Is creamy-white, the heatl chestnut-brown and \'ery shiny, and 

 which when retracted into the first segment shows through it, giving 

 the segnrent a dark appearance ; the remaining segments have each 

 twd pairs (jf oval shiny wail-lilce markings on the dorsal surface; the 

 arral segment is yellowish-brown with four large hairs ; the other seg- 

 ment has two pairs of hairs, except the fii'St, wln'ch has tluve ; the 

 third segment from the tail has two black spots on the posterior edge 

 of the dorsum ; the spiracles are black ; legs brown, and the prolegs 

 have lilack edges. 



The larva' conrmence to pupate iu April. ^lorris ( :l) stides that 

 thev may remain in the lar\-al state till Maw 



The pnpa is chestnut-brown; the pnsterinr edges of the segnrents 



liave a, number of spines on the doi'sal surhice, 



and the head is rather prolonged irr front. 



IkdVire the imago emerges, the puyia forces its 

 A\ ay partly out of the hole formed 1>>' the larva. 



Tlie emergence usually' takes }ilace in the 

 early morning. The general signs of the presence 

 of this insect in a plantation are as tVdlows : — 



(i) in early summer the dying-oil of the 

 shoots, snrallness of tlie lea,\a'S and the 

 fruit, 

 (ii) In winter one may delect the holes into 

 the shoots referred to ; these are about 

 I- inch acr(.)ss, aTul a (prajitity of " frass ' 

 ma^' often be seen around this hole, 

 (lii) On cutting open a dead shoot the white 



larva mav lie found within dnrinu the '" ■^'■"'■ 



■ , , . (Xatinal size.) 



winter and early spiaug. 



TiiEvr.NTioy. 



All that can be done as far as our ]ir'eseid. knowledge goes is to go 

 carefully over tire bushes, in xilantations wher'e the attack occurs, and 



