486 



Notes on Insect and Fungus Pests, [sept., 



The most serious pest, however, reported to the Board as 

 attacking willows has been the Beetle Galenic ella lineola. 

 This was referred to in the "Notes on Insect and Fungus 

 Pests," published in the Board's Journal for June, 1909, and 

 notes were also published in the issues for July and November, 

 1908. This year the pest was recorded as having appeared 

 near Bridgwater, and doing serious damage. An arsenate 

 of lead spray would poison both the beetle and the grub, 

 but a great difficulty is the want of co-ordination among the 

 growers. ><* ■ ' " - v 



A pest scarcely less serious has been found in Hornchurch, 

 Essex, namely, Phyllodecta mtellince. In this case an osier 

 holt planted three years ago has been badly attacked. Accord- 

 ing to the owner's account, it was free the first year and only 

 very slightly infested the second. The third attack was 

 overwhelming. This beetle, about J- in. long, is of a bluish- 

 black metallic colour and slightly iridescent, has rather long 

 antennas shaped like a string of beads. The eggs are laid 

 in the spring on the leaves, which are skeletonised by the 

 grubs which emerge. The adult beetle also eats the apices 

 of the shoots and spoils their value, since lateral branches 

 are thrown out which are not required. Spraying with 

 arsenate of lead is efficient, both against adult and larva. 

 It would save much damage and also considerable labour 

 later on, both in the case of G. lineola and P. vitellince, if 

 workers were sent round early in the season when the beetles 

 are noticed on the plants, to shake the beetles off, before 

 egg-laying, into jars containing paraffin. 



Another insect sent to the Board was identified as a 

 specimen of the Poplar or Willow Longicorn Beetle {Safer da 

 carcharias). It came from Castle Hedingham, in Essex, a 

 district where there are many willows. The beetle is yellow, 

 brown or grey, and measures up to an inch and a quarter 

 in length, exclusive of the antennae. The females lay their 

 eggs in cracks in the bark towards the base of the tree. 

 The grub bores into the youngest wood, and hibernates 

 there. When the next spring arrives the grub renews its 

 feeding, and goes deeper into the wood, the galleries which it 

 makes often reaching the centre of the tree. A second winter 

 is passed in these galleries, but in the following summer, 



