58 



CIRCULAR 270, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



LIFE HISTORY 



The eggs are laid in the fall in punctures in the bark of prune and 

 other trees, where they remain through the winter. They hatch late 

 in May or in June, and the young nymphs, which are light green or 

 white, feed on the foliage of fruit trees and cover crops for about 6 

 weeks, molting at intervals and increasing in size. After molting five 

 times the crickets are fully grown. The adults are slightly more than 

 one half inch long, light green or yellowish. The female (fig. 68) has 

 narrow, transparent wings, and the male has somewhat broader 

 wings. There is but one generation a year, and the adults may be 

 found in the orchards from July until frost occurs. 



CONTROL 



The injury caused by the snowy tree cricket may very largely be 

 prevented by poisoning the crickets while they are still feeding on 



Figure 69.— Dried prunes: A, russeted by syneta leaf beetle; B, uninjured. 



the leaves and before they have started eating holes in the fruit. In 

 southern Idaho this may be done between July 15 and August 1. 

 The trees may be sprayed with lead arsenate, 2 pounds to 100 gallons 

 of water, to which is added 1 pound of casein spreader. Or they may 

 be dusted with calcium arsenate, using about 1 pound to eight trees. 



SYNETA LEAF BEETLE 



The syneta leaf beetle {Syneta albida Lee.) ordinarily does not in- 

 jure prunes so severely as it injures pears and cherries (pp. 37 and 47). 

 Most of the prunes grown in the area inhabited by the beetle are sold 

 in the dried form and the smaller injuries are of less consequence than 

 those on fruit that is to be marketed green or fresh. The injuries 

 result in russeted areas on the prunes. These areas, when large, 

 detract from the appearance of the dried product (fig. 69) and make 

 the fresh fruit unmarketable. 



