Insect enemies and friends. 50 1 



7 HRIPS. 



7 and 2. Thrifts minutissima, immature. 3 and 4. 

 tninutissimci. S and 9. TJwips cerealium. 



English species being 

 vVhen mature they are f 

 which are very narrow 

 lolded over their bar], 

 sucking out the juices o 

 proboscis, and theil droppings 



le 



;th 



lore than i-ioin. 

 nished with two pairs ol wings, 

 id fringed, and when at rest lie 

 They injure the plants by 

 the leaves by means of a short 

 which are of a Glutinous 



BLACK 



Black Vine Weevil 

 Grub, enlarged. -J 



nature, clog the pores of the leaves, thus destroying their 

 usefulness. 



Weevils, -hew families of insects are more destructive 

 than the weevils. Several members attack the plants in 

 our gardens and glasshouses. The weevils, as a rule, 

 leed on the leaves, and their grubs on the roots of 

 plants. These little beetles may be distinguished bv 

 their heads being produced into a 

 more or less elongated proboscis or 

 snout (at the end of which is the 

 insect's mouth, which carries the 

 feelers) ; these are not straight, as is 

 usually the case, but have a decided 

 elbow or knee about halfway in their 

 length. 



The Black Vine Weevil( Otiorhynchus 

 ntlcatus) is one of the most destruc- 

 tive, and the clay-coloured weevil 

 (Otiorhynchus picipes) is almost as 

 great a pest. They feed on the leaves 

 of the vine and various plants, and 

 are more mischievous in vineries 

 and greenhouses than they are 

 out of doors, feeding on the leaves and some- 

 times cutting the young shoots of vines right through. 

 The foliage of Peaches, Roses, Ferns, and many plants 

 with ornamental leaves is also injured by them, and their 

 grubs attack the roots of Ferns, Cyclamens, Sedums, 

 Saxifrages, Strawberries, Begonias, etc., Raspberries, 

 Gooseberries, and Currants. The red-legged weevil 

 [Otiorhynchus tuiebricdsits) much resembles the above- 

 named species, but is considerably larger and by no means 

 so common. Its habits and manner of life are identical. 

 These insects are very difficult to destroy, as the grubs 

 are comparatively safe, living as they do at the roots of 

 plants, anil the weevils hide themselves most carefully 

 during the day, only coming out at night to feed. 

 The only way of destroying the grubs is to examine 

 the roots of the plant that they are attacking and pick 

 them out. The weevils may be shaken off the plants 

 at night into an open umbrella or on to boards or canvas 

 stretched on a frame which have been newly painted or 

 tarred, so as to catch the pests when they fall, which they 

 do very readily when disturbed, or if a bright light is 

 suddenly thrown on them. In May and June, when the 

 weevils are very active, dress the soil just round the 

 plants dial are attacked with bine and soot, sand, or 

 sawdust which has been soaked in paraffin oil, carbolic 

 acid, or gas lime. In the case ol plants grown in pots, 

 the best way to catch the beetles is to place a white sheet 

 on the ground, and to lay the plant on its side on ihis 

 during the day. Soon after it is dark throw a bright 

 light on it, and the weevils will be easily seen on the 



shcel when they fall. II th-y do not do so readily, shake 

 the plant. When vines are grown on tile rool ol a house 

 the sheet should be spread under them and the same 

 tactics employed. Small bundles of dry moss or hay 

 make very good traps, and should be lied to the stems ol 

 tin- plants, so that they can easily be used as hiding- 

 places. The black vine weevil is about |in. in length, 

 and entirely black in colour. The clay-coloured weevil 

 is about ] in. in length, and ol a pale brown colour. The 

 grubs of both species are so much alike that it is almost 

 impossible to distinguish one from the other. They arc 

 hardly .'.in. long, while, fleshy, much wrinkled, and 

 sparingly covered with still hairs. Their heads arc dark 

 brown, anil they have no legs; they generally lie in a 

 somewhat curved position. 



Apple Blossom Weevil (Aiithonoiiins Pomorum) is 

 another destructive member ol this lamily. It sometimes 

 entirely destroys a crop ol Apples or Tears. The females 

 lay their eggs in the young fruit buds, and tile grubs leed 

 on the unopened or opening blossoms, which causes them 

 to be barren and to turn brown and wither as if Ihey had 

 been caught by the frost. The young grubs require 

 shelter, soil the weather be warm and tine at the time .the 

 buds are opening, so that they soon burst out into lull 

 flower, the grubs when hatched will not live, and the crop 

 is not nearly so much injured as when the weather is not 

 favourable and the opening of the buds is delayed for 

 several days. The weevils have then, moreover, more 

 time in w hich to lay their eggs. When once the eggs are- 

 laid there is nothing to be done, as no insecticide can lie 



made to reach 

 noticed on the 



VINE WEEVIL 



2. Grub, nat. sir. 

 Chrysalis, enlarged 



the grubs. If many of the weevils are 

 trees, they should be shaken from the 

 branches on to cloths spread under 

 them, or on to a light wooden frame 

 w ith canvas stretched over it. Two 

 laths about 5ft. long, connected at 

 their centres by another of the same 

 length, would be quite strong enough, 

 and the canvas should not be stretched 

 too tight. The weevils can easily be 

 poured from an arrangement of tin, 

 kind into a vessel of water. As they 

 pass the winter under stones, rubbish, 

 clods, etc., at the foot of the trees, 

 and also under the rough bark, the 

 ground undernea h them should be 

 kept free from an thing under which 

 they could hide. In the autumn 

 scrape the steins and the branches so as to remove 

 any rough projecting pieces of bark which might 

 afford a shelter. Cloths of some kind should be 

 laid round the stems before commencing this operation, 

 so as to catch all that is scraped off. Then paint the 

 stems and branches over with a wash made from fresh 

 lime, to which should be added a little paraffin oil. 

 Collect and burn any of the flowers which have been 

 attacked and fall. Pick over the remaining ones on the 

 tree, as they will probably contain the chrysalides of this 

 insect. The weevils are about 2-toin. long, and are dark 

 brow n, covered with a greyish dow n, the wing cases being 

 reddish with a somewhat V-shaped while band across 

 them. 



Nut Weevil {Balaninus nucum). — Everyone who has 

 gathered or eaten Nuts fresh from the tree is aware that 

 they often contain grubs ; these are the progeny of the 

 Nut weevil. At times they are very destructive to crops 

 of Filberts and other Nuts, and are difficult to destroy, for 

 w hen once the egg is laid within the Nut nothing can be 

 done to prevent it from hatching, or the grub from 

 feeding on the kernel. By the time the grub has 

 attained its full size it will almost have finished the kernel. 

 It then eats its way through the shell and falls to the 

 ground, or if the Nut has already dropped it merely craw ls 

 out and buries itsell in the soil, and there makes a little 

 cell in which it passes the winter. In the spring it 

 becomes a chrysalis, and in June the weevils make their 

 appearance, whilst in fitly Lhey lay their eggs in the 

 Nuts. The weevil has a remarkably long sleudei 



