Dec. ix, 1916 
Syntomaspis druparum 
489 
orchard in 1914 was very badly distorted, and specimens sent to various 
entomologists were pronounced to be the work of Syntomaspis druparum 
for the reason that larvae of this species were found in the seed. The 
writer visited this orchard in October and examined large numbers of 
the fruits, but found the chalcid larvae in comparatively few. Obviously 
the chalcid was not responsible for such extensive injury, especially in 
view of the fact that the fruit of wild seedlings almost within the boun¬ 
daries of the orchard was heavily infested by the chalcid and showed 
no sign of distortion. Observation in the same orchard the following 
spring disclosed the fact that it was grossly infested by both species of 
apple red bugs (Lygidea mendax Reut. and Heterocordylus malinus Reut.), 
which had come from Crataegus sp. and wild crab in the surrounding 
woods. These were the insects responsible for the injury to the apples, 
and the chalcids were able to infest the seeds because of the stunting 
due to the red-bug injury. It should be stated, in justification of this 
mistaken determination, that both of the insects concerned are of com¬ 
paratively recent discovery, and their work is familiar to but few ento¬ 
mologists. 
When first infested, the seeds show the laceration caused by the ovi¬ 
positor surrounded by a brownish area; but as they darken, the injured 
area heals and ultimately appears as a lighter area, a repeatedly punc¬ 
tured seed having a mottled appearance. At full growth infested seeds 
are less plump and more irregular than normal seeds. Infested and 
sound seeds are shown in Plate 39. 
Crosby (7, p. 369) states that in the Lady apple the texture of the 
flesh is considerably injured. This has not been apparent to the writer, 
for. on visiting an orchard containing trees of this variety, from which 
the owner had picked what he termed an “ unusually fine crop,” fully 
two-thirds of the apples examined were heavily infested by the chalcid; 
but it was impossible to tell whether an apple was infested without ex¬ 
amining the seeds or making an almost microscopic examination of the 
skin for the minute oviposition scars. Special attention was paid to 
apples of commercial size and color,, and a very large percentage was 
.(found infested. Moreover, fruit of this variety has been purchased on 
the Washington market 50 per cent of the seeds of which contained 
larvae of the chalcid. 
Horvath records failure in Budapest of apple seed to produce a good 
stand on account of infestation by the chalcid. 
VARIETIES AND SPECIES OF FRUIT ATTACKED 
The apple-seed chalcid has been found to infest a great variety of 
fruits. The original description (1, p. 361-362) was based on specimens 
reared from the seeds of Sorbus scandica. The species was redescribed 
by Thomson (2, p. 76) from seeds of Sorbus sp. Rodzianko (5, p. 593- 
602) reared it from Sorbus aria , Pyrus baccata , and Malus sylvestris . In 
