1938 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OP PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



the ground and feeds on tlie roots of 

 plants, and is tlius sometimes very de- 

 structive to strawberry plants. It is said 

 that the grub is three years in reaching 

 its full growth; finally, it matures in the 

 autumn, and late the same season or early 

 in the following spring changes to a 

 beetle. Gotalpa lanig'era is found both in 

 Eastern United States and Eastern Cana- 

 da, and Northern Mississippi Valley states. 



Oreenhonse Ortliezia 



Orthezia insigms Dougl. 

 General Appearance 



Body ochreous to dark green, covered 

 with plates of white waxy secretion, 

 which are extended posteriorly in a 

 large rectangular plate, to hold and pro- 

 tect the eggs and young. Length 1.5 mm. 

 Males are smaller and darker in color 

 with two long white wax filaments pos- 

 teriorly. 



Life History 



There are several generations a year. 

 The eggs of the female are carried in the 

 white egg-sac fastened to the posterior 

 end of the abdomen. The young females 

 vary from yellow to green in color. As 

 they grow the white covering forms 

 around the edges and as a distinct middle 

 longitudinal ridge. When full grown the 

 bodies are completely hidden. All stages 

 are active. 



Bistribntion 



In greenhouses throughout the entire 

 state and country. 



Food Plants 



Numerous including strawberry and to- 

 mato. 



E. O. EssiG 



Oronnd Beetles 



GaraUdae 



It som-etimes happens that an insect 

 which is, under normal conditions, harm- 

 less or even beneficial, becomes under un- 

 usual conditions more or less pestilent 

 and then offers great difficulties in con- 

 trol. 



"G-round beetles," belonging to the fami- 

 ly OaraMdae, are as a rule predatory in 

 character, and their presence in cultivated 



fields is to be looked upon as rather an 

 advantage than otherwise But there is 

 one group of the series which, under cer- 

 tain conditions, varies its diet somewhat, 

 and in the adult stage may turn to vege- 

 table food, and chiefly seeds. It is not 

 uncommon to find in late summer or early 

 fall, the large black species of Harpalus 

 on seeds of grasses and of rag-weeds, and 

 sometimes they are present in very large 

 numbers. 



The beetle is somewhat shining bronze- 

 black in color, with grooved wing-covers 

 and is less than half an inch in length. 

 It is active, runs readily at all times, and 

 flies readily at night. It feeds only at 

 night and eats only the seeds of ripening 

 berries, incidentally mutilating them so 

 much that their market value is des- 

 troyed. 



Control 



Insecticide applications after the in- 

 sects have begun injury are manifestly 

 out of the question. 



Injury from ground beetles can never 

 be very wide-spread, and will always be 

 temporary when it does occur. 



JxTNE BxjG. See White G-rub, 



Leaf Beetle. See Btraw'berry Leaf 

 Beetle, 



Leaf Feeders 



There are a number of species that oc- 

 casionally feed on strawberry foliage in 

 numbers sufficient to attract attention. 

 Notable among these are the larvae or 

 slugs of certain saw-flies. These resemble 

 caterpillars in appearance, but have one 

 more pair of legs on the middle of the 

 body and tend to curl up on the surface 

 of the leaf. They usually feed in colonies 

 and may be very numerous on a single 

 plant, while all around the plants are free. 



All these slugs succumb very readily 

 to arsenate of lead and, indeed, to al- 

 most any contact insecticide like helle- 

 bore, finely powdered tobacco, or even air- 

 slaked lime. This is of advantage for 

 these slugs are apt to make their appear- 

 ance, when they come at all, when the 

 berries are well advanced and when ar- 

 senical poisons are not indicated. 



J. B. Smith, 



New Jersey Experiment Station Bulletin 225. 



