292 



Insect, Fungous and other Pests, [august, 



is a winged form, which can migrate ; the other three species 

 are wingless but can run actively. 



The above beetles are ground beetles belonging to 

 the family Carabidcz, the majority of the members 

 of which are predaceous and carnivorous in diet, not 

 vegetarian. Being partly scavengers they are sometimes 

 trapped by baits of flesh covered with sacking. The most 

 serviceable treatment, which has been recorded as successful 

 on a large scale, consisted in letting into the soil at intervals 

 of a few yards cheap pudding basins sunk to the ground level. 

 In these were placed sugar-water and pieces of lights. On 

 dry nights as many beetles as would half fill the basins 

 were caught. By continuing this treatment the pests were 

 reduced until but two or three were trapped, and later none. 

 Sacking if spread here and there in the strawberry beds 

 would be used as shelter places by the beetles ; this might 

 at fixed intervals be shaken into paraffin or boiling water. 

 On a small scale the straw covering the beds might be 

 removed in successive portions, the soil turned over with 

 a trowel, and the sheltering beetles collected. Unfortunately 

 no spray or dressing can be used with success against these 

 beetles. 



Green Rose Chafer. — Another beetle with a bad record for 

 its attacks on strawberries is Cetonia aurata, the Golden Chafer 

 or Green Rose-Chafer. This beetle, sometimes in great 

 swarms, attacks the blossoms, eating the flower parts so that 

 no fruit follows. In some years whole beds are thus destroyed. 

 The only method of combating this beetle in its adult stage 

 is by collecting the beetles in dull weather, when they are 

 sluggish. The beetle lays its eggs in cracks in the ground, 

 the grubs gnawing the roots, so that Cetonia is harmful both 

 as larva and in its adult form. (See also Leaflet No. 25, 

 Chafer Beetles or White Grubs). 



Carabus Beetle on Mangolds. — Beetles found to be attacking 

 mangolds in Cheshire were identified as Pterostichus (or 

 Steropus) madidus, mentioned above in connection with 

 strawberries. The best remedial measure is to spread sacking 

 in the field to trap the beetles as already suggested. 



Another Carabus beetle, Harpalus aeneus, not reported to be 

 harmful, was sent from Rugeley. 



