1908.] Apple Blossom Weevil. 677 



ing from one branch to another, examining every bud carefully, 

 and often taking a long while before it can find one suitable 

 for its purpose," as described by Schmidberger in Kollar.* 



By means of her long snout-like rostrum a hole is made into 

 which an egg is deposited, this is pushed down into the centre 

 of the bud by the rostrum, and the opening closed with a secre- 

 tion. Schmidberger states that the time occupied in com- 

 pleting this work is about three-quarters of an hour. 



This is again and again repeated in separate flower buds, 

 until anything between twenty and fifty eggs have been de- 

 posited. Petitf states that the female beetle is provided with 

 a stylet at the extreme end of its body with which it pierces 

 the flower bud. "It is hard to admit," he states, " that the 

 insect should execute a complicated manoeuvre obliging it, 

 after having pierced the bud with its snout, to turn round and 

 place the egg in an invisible hole, smaller than the egg." In 

 six or eight days the eggs hatch out into minute, whitish, legless, 

 maggots, with blackish-brown heads, later they become creamy- 

 white, with the skin very wrinkled and hairy, 



On hatching from the egg the grub or larva commences to 

 feed upon the internal part of the blossom, including the recep- 

 tacle. The blossum-bud expands and the petals partially 

 open, then quite suddenly growth ceases, the petals wither, 

 shrivel, and turn a scorched brown colour. The essential organs 

 of the flower having been destroyed no fruit appears. 



Throughout the larval period the larvae lie in the bud in a 

 curved position. When full-fed, viz., in from one to three 

 weeks, the time depending very largely upon the weather, the 

 larvae cast their skins and change into pupae. 



The pupa, which is nearly a quarter of an inch long, is a pale 

 yellowish-brown in colour. The pupal stage occupies from a 

 week to ten days, the beetle then boring its way through the 

 bud, lives upon the tree until late in September. 



Schmidberger states that the beetles feed upon the leaves, 

 but Dr. Henneguy, as the result of careful observations, states 

 that they do not feed at all. 



Preventive and Remedial Measures. — Both the preventive 

 and remedial measures that have been suggested for this pest 



* Op. cit. , p. 246. 



f Jotirn. dAgric. Pratiqtie ) 1892, Tom. I, No. I. 



