THE GRAPE ROOT-WORM 
WITH ESPECIAL REFERENCE TO iN V ESTICATTOXS 
IN THE ERIE GRAPE BELT FROM 1007 TO 1909. 
INTRODUCTION. 
During the past decade the insect Fidia viticida Walsh (PI. I), 
a chrysomelid beetle known to the vineyardists of the Lake Erie 
Valley as the " grape root-worm" beetle, which in the larval stage 
feeds upon the roots of the grapevine, has become by far the most 
destructive insect pest attacking the grape in that region. 
The following pages present the extent and findings of an investi- 
gation conducted at North East, Pa., during the seasons of 1907, 
1908, and 1909. These investigations were undertaken in order to 
make a thorough study of the life history and habits of this insect, 
to conduct experiments with a view to its control, and to make field 
experiments to demonstrate the practical commercial value of those 
methods giving greatest promise of effective results. 
Since the grape root- worm is a grape pest of long standing, a brief 
resume of its history is given, both from the standpoint of entomolog- 
ical classification and from that of the development of remedial 
measures for its control. 
Its origin, distribution, and food plants are considered, brief de- 
scriptions of allied beetles and of those beetles found upon grape- 
vines likely to be mistaken for the grape root-worm are given, 
and also a description of the character of the injury to the vine 
wrought by the insect and the extent of its destructiveness. 
The technical descriptions of the different ages of the insect are 
followed by a presentation of life-history studies involving many 
careful experiments with numerous individuals. These studies were 
undertaken to determine the length of the stages and the time at 
which the different changes occur. This work was conducted for 
three consecutive years with a view to determine the effect, in the 
development of the insect, of seasonal variations due to varying 
climatic conditions, and it has been productive of very interesting 
results which have an important bearing on the time of application 
of remedies. Soil conditions and altitude of vineyards are also con- 
sidered in this same relation. 
