58 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



INJURIOUS INSECTS 

 Grape root worm 



Fidia viticida Walsh 



This species must be considered a serious enemy of the vineyard- 

 ist, though its injuries in the Chautauqua grape region have not 

 been so great during the last two seasons as they were a few years 

 earlier. It is now generally distributed throughout this grape sec- 

 tion and a significant development of the last year or two is the 

 extension of its operations to vineyards on the hills back from the 

 lake. Two and three years ago the beetles were very scarce in 

 these vineyards, while last summer both adults and larvae were 

 more prevalent than they had been for some years and in one case 

 at least, decidedly abundant. 



Life history and habits. The life history and habits of this 

 species have received much attention in the last three or four years, 

 and considerable data bearing on periods of transformation, the 

 habits of the grubs, beetles, ov'iposition etc., have been presented in 

 State Museum bulletins 59 and 72, to which the reader is referred 

 for details of much importance in controlling this destructive pest. 

 The latter publication comprises practically everything given in the 

 former together with many additional facts. 



Root worm control. The investigations of the last three or 

 four years have shown beyond doubt the practicability of control- 

 ling this insect, even in badly infested vineyards. The observations 

 have been continued for the purpose of ascertaining the behavior 

 of the pest through a series of years, in order to obtain a more 

 adequate conception of its destructiveness and the conditions favor- 

 able to its multiplication with the resulting injury. The best idea 

 of this insect's work can be gained by reference to a particular case 

 where conditions are known. A very thrifty, well kept vineyard 

 belonging to D. K. Falvay of .Westfield was found to be abun- 

 dantly infested with root worms in the spring of 1903. Most vine- 

 yardists know in a general way the results of our experiments. A 

 horse collecting machine was made and as a result of three catch- 

 ings at intervals of about five days in early July, over 150,000 

 beetles were taken from the experimental area of about 5 acres, or 

 an average of 59 insects were secured from each vine, in spite of 

 the fact that a considerable proportion of the area had been pre- 

 viously cultivated for the special purpose of killing the pupae, this 

 latter operation undoubtedly destroying from 50 to 75% of the 

 latter. Bearing this in mind, these figures give some idea of the 



