]82 



Insect Pests. 



SL-fnml titaieratiun (viviparous female). 



liy the male, deposits little sliiiiy Ijlack eggs at the base of the buds 

 and on the twigs. Egg-laying may commence early in October and 



goes on till November. These eggs usu- 

 ally hatcli earl}' in April, but I have 

 observed the lice in March. 



Besides prunes this aphis is also found 

 on peach, nectarine and apple, but I have 

 not seen it breeding on those plants. 



I am inclined to believe it tlies to 

 irmbelliferous plants (3) and breeds there. 

 An allied species, A. [inniifolia, is shown 

 (Fig. 252 Ti). 



rEEVENTION AND TrEAT^IENT. 



This pest can easily be kept in hand 

 if attacked in its early stages, but when 

 once the females liaN-e set to work to 

 produce those countless living young 

 and they curl up the leaves it is most 



difficult to destroy the pest, for not only are they protected bv the 



curled leaf, but also by the honeydew and meal whicli help to repel 



the insecticide. 



Washing should start before the blossom buds open, so as to 



destroy the mother-queen before she 



produces her green young. In any 



case it should never be later than the 



date of falling of the blossom ; up to 



tliis time some good will be done. 



The oliject should be, however, to kill 



the mother-queens before the blossom 



appears. 



Considerable lienefit has been found 



from lime wash, salt and waterglass 



heavily sprayed over the plums and 



damsons just before the buds burst. 



The eggs are laid in crevices, bud 



groups, etc., where the lime wash col- 

 lects, and \ery many are thus jirevented 



from hatching. The writer has seen 



trees comj)letely clear of tlie Aplih 



jirinii and the I'/mniiJoii li n nin/i (Ho])- 



Damson Aphis) by this treatment, and it cannol 1h> too stron<dv 



FIG. 2.',r.. — MliTIIKIi-lJUKEX I'V I'LUJI 



.U'llls IX .WIl. OK BlI'. 



(Muell enlar.^'ed.) 



