124 



The Fear Leaf Blister Mite. [may, 



In his Report for 1896 Theobald recorded direct damage 

 by this mite to the young developing pear-fruits, blisters or 

 galls in which the mites were present showing on the outside 

 of the attacked fruitlets; these fruits were quite destroyed or 

 remained stunted. 



The Board have a similar record of such attack on pear- 

 fruits. In this case the plant trained on a wooden paling 

 about eight feet high had done well for some years previous 

 to 1907. In 1907 this plant produced abundant bloom, but 

 "when the pears were of the size of small peas, both leaves 

 and pears showed attack, and all the pears but one dropped 

 off. In 1908 the same thing again occurred, all the young 

 pears dropping' off." 



Description of the Mite. — The Mite is minute. Nalepa's 

 measurement is from 1/147 to 1/125 of an inch long. The 

 magnified figure (Fig. 1) indicates the mite with its rounded 

 body and elongated form. The anterior end of the body 

 (cephalo-thorax) has on its upper surface a semicircular shield. 

 In front is the rostrum with its piercing and sucking mouth 

 parts. There are two pair of five-jointed legs; each leg ends 

 in a claw with a four-plumed bristle. The abdomen is trans- 

 versely ringed. On the upper surface of the mite, and spring- 

 ing- from the hind edge of the shield, are two bristles. The 

 abdomen bears towards its front end two bristles ; about the 

 middle are two moderately long bristles ; near the hind end 

 are two very short bristles ; while there are two long bristles 

 at the tail. 



In the larval stage the mite resembles the adult in external 

 appearance, except for the smaller size, a weaker bristling, 

 and the absence of external sexual apparatus. In colour the 

 mite is whitish. 



Life History. — The winter is passed under cover of the 

 outer bud-scales of the buds on the shoots of the year. In 

 this position the mites shelter in numbers. In spring the 

 mites proceed to gall the young leaves (Fig. 2). The adult 

 female lays her eggs in the gall. New broods of mites spread 

 from the galls, forming fresh blisters on the same and other 

 leaves. Before leaf-fall the mites pass to their winter quarters 

 in the buds. 



Treatment.— 1. Where attack is noticed before the mites 



