46 
prematurely and fall. The grub, when full-grown, passes into the 
ground and there pupates, the beetle issuing in the fall. The beetle 
has a peculiar habit of dropping from the tree when disturbed. 
The quince curculio (Conotraehelus crataegi Walsh.) is a very similar 
insect to the plum curculio. It is the cause of knotty or worm}' 
quinces. The weevil lays her eggs in little pits of the quince eaten by 
the parent for that purpose. The grubs feed in the quince till the 
early fall, when they leave it and burrow beneath the ground. Here 
they pass the winter, pupating in early spring. 
The pear midge (Dij:>Ios!s pyrivora Riley) is a tiny, two- winged fly 
much like the Hessian fly, that appears in the spring and lays its eggs 
in 3 T oung pears. The larva? feed near the core, causing the fruit to 
shrivel and drop. When full-fed they leave the fruit and pupate 
about an inch or so beneath the surface of the ground. The winter is 
passed in this condition, and the flies emerge the following spring. 
o 
