GRAPE PESTS 
One or two early applications of a nico- 
tine spray is the only remedy suggested. 
Literature 
New York (Geneva) Bulletin 331. 
Grape Cane Borer 
Amphicerus bicaudatus Say. 
The young shoots of the grape during 
the spring months in some districts will 
often be observed to suddenly break off 
or droop and die, and if examination be 
made a small hole will be found just 
above the base of the withered shoot, 
with a burrow leading from it a short 
distance into the main stem. Within the 
burrow will be found the culprit in the 
form of a peculiar cylindrical brown 
beetle about half an inch long. This 
beetle has long been known as the apple 
twig borer, from its habit of boring into 
the smaller branches of the apple in the 
manner described for the grape. It also 
sometimes similarly attacks pear, peach, 
plum, forest and shade trees and orna- 
mental shrubs. To the grape, however, 
it is especially destructive, and the name 
“erape cane borer” is now given to it 
as more appropriate. Much complaint of 
this beetle is always received during the 
winter and early spring. Frequently all 
the new growth is killed, and in some 
eases vines have been entirely destroyed. 
It is extremely common in the states 
bordering the Mississippi, from Iowa to 
Arkansas, and also in Texas, often be- 
coming, throughout this region, the most 
important insect enemy of the vine. It 
also occurs eastward to the coast, but 
rarely causes much damage in its eastern 
range. 
It breeds in dying wood, such as large 
prunings, diseased canes, and also in 
dying or drying wood of most shade and 
fruit trees. It has been found by the 
writer breeding very abundantly in roots 
of uprooted maples and in diseased tam- 
arisk stems. In old, dry wood it will 
not breed, so far as is known, nor in 
vigorous live growth, but seems to need 
the dying and partially drying conditions 
mentioned. The insect has but one brood 
yearly. The beetles mature for the most 
part in fall, and generally remain in their 
larval burrows until the following spring. 
1133 
A few may leave the burrows in the fall 
and construct others in the twigs of 
apple or other plants in which to hiber- 
nate. In the spring, however, they be- 
gin their destructive work early, burrow- 
ing into the axils of the grape and oc- 
caSionally also into other plants. This 
is undoubtedly partly for food, but seems 
largely malicious, for it certainly has 
nothing to do with egg-laying, although 
it may have some connection with the 
marital relation. The eggs are laid chief- 
ly in May, or as early as March or April 
in its southern range, and the larvae 
develop during summer, transforming to 
pupae and beetles in the fall. 
On the Pacific coast a closely allied 
but somewhat larger species (Amphicerus 
punctipennis Lec.) breeds in grape canes 
and other plants, and probably has sim- 
ilar burrowing habits in the adult stage. 
Remedies 
It will be apparent at once that to 
limit the work of this insect it will be 
necessary to promptly destroy all wood 
in which it will breed. This means the 
careful removal and burning of all dis- 
eased wood and prunings at least by mid- 
summer, thus destroying the material in 
which the larvae are probably undergo- 
ing their development. If precautions of 
this sort are neglected and the beetle 
appears in the vineyard in spring, the 
only recourse is to cut out by hand 
every affected part and destroy the 
beetles. On warm days they may some- 
times be collected in numbers while run- 
ning about the vines. 
C. L. MARLATT, 
Washington, D. C. 
Grape Cureulio 
Craponius inaequalis Say 
The grape curculio is one of the “snout 
beetles” belonging in the same family 
as the so-called plum curculio. The par- 
ent beetle deposits her eggs in little cav- 
ities which she eats into the grapes, 
and the resulting larvae feed upon the 
pulp and seeds, producing an injury quite 
similar to that done by the grape berry 
moth. The beetles cut small, rather 
characteristic holes in the grape leaves 
when feeding, and the berries often show 
