APPLE PESTS 
Fig. 1. The Fruit Tree Leaf Syneta: Pupa 
and adult. (Original) 
are practically no published notes on its 
habits and life history. 
The adults suddenly begin to appear in 
the spring at the time when the apple 
blossoms are opening and are very abund- 
ant for a few weeks, when they suddenly 
begin to disappear and in a few days can 
only be found in scattering numbers. 
We have been unable to locate the eggs 
but suppose they are deposited in the 
ground upon roots of some kind. During 
1912 larvae dug from the ground beneath 
apple trees formed into pupae and later 
changed to the adult stage. At that 
time it was impossible to tell whether 
the larvae were feeding upon the roots of 
apple or upon the roots of some grass or 
weed as the roots of all three were more 
or less intermingled. A number of lar- 
vae were found at a depth of fourteen 
inches below the surface of the ground. 
The only injury which we are acquaint- 
ed with is that done by the adults and at 
times this is quite serious. When the 
blossoms are opening in the spring, the 
adults can be found feeding on the 
petals and one would suppose that the 
fruit would suffer as a result, but appar- 
ently the principal parts of the flower are 
left uninjured. Later in the season the 
leaves of apples and prunes are the prin- 
cipal parts eaten, and oftentimes trees 
will have nearly every leaf with from 
one to several holes eaten out. The worst 
and most serious injury is done to young 
grafts, especially where whole orchards 
are being grafted over. These grafts 
where the leaves are continually eaten 
away for several years are killed, and 
consequently the tree itself is lost. 
Remedies 
Such remedies as have been tried are 
more or less unsatisfactory. Arsenate of 
525 
lead in ordinary strengths fails to de- 
stroy the beetles, and stronger strengths 
seem to be only partially successful. With 
young grafts the beetles can be kept 
away by the use of cheesecloth sacks 
placed over the grafts. 
Greedy Seale 
Aspidiotus camelliae Sign 
Aspidiotus rapax Comst. 
General Appearance 
This scale greatly resembles the San 
Jose scale, but is somewhat lighter in 
color, larger, much more convex, being 
noticeably high and with exuvie near 
one side. The shell is thin, showing the 
yellow body beneath. : 
Figs 1. (Aspidiotus camelliae 
Greedy Scale 
Sign.) around calyx of apple. (Cal. Hort. Com.) 
Distribution 
One of the commonest scale insects and 
found in wild as well as cultivated areas 
throughout the state. 
Food Plants 
This species attacks a very large list 
of plants, though it has never yet be- 
come a serious pest to any horticultural 
or agricultural product. Among the food 
plants reported in California are quince, 
eucalyptus, fuchsia, English ivy, moun- 
tain holly, walnut, myrtle, olive, cotton- 
wood, almond, cherry, pomegranate, pear, 
apple, rose, willow, California bay or 
pepperwood and grape. 
