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WILLOW BEETLE. 
139 
application was made me by Mr. J. Mc‘Kenzie, from the Inspector 
and Surveyor’s Dept, of the Eural Sanitary Authority, Altrincham, 
Cheshire, regarding information to check, if possible, a serious blight 
which had visited Willows growing on one of their sewage farms. 
The specimens forwarded showed the cause of mischief to be the 
Willow Beetle, and the following observations were sent:—“ The crop 
of Willows (one year’s growth) now growing on our Ashton-on-Mersey 
Willow Beds have been blighted with some sort of insect or fly, the 
whole crop turning quite yellow in the leaf in a very short space of 
time. It seemed to take whole of outer edge of crop first, and then 
travel inwards. The leaves turned yellow in the leaf and then dropped, 
and on examination we find the bark has even been eaten. All the 
Willows in the surrounding hedges and ditches are similarly affected. 
Willows growing on the Stretford Sewage Farm (2 miles away) were 
also affected, but one day they swarmed and went away in clouds, and 
have not since returned.”—(J. Me. D. Mc‘Kenzie.) 
On the 20th of Oct., the following note was sent, 
accompanied by specimens of injured shoots from 
Mr. J. M. Wilson, of Carrygrane, Edgewortlistown 
(Leinster, Ireland):—“ The enclosed are some pieces 
of osiers, taken promiscuously from a large bed which 
I have, and which this year has failed entirely. 
Perhaps you can inform me what is the cause?” 
This also, though beetles were not sent, appeared 
from the method, and also from the severe amount 
of injury to leafage, to be another case of damage 
from infestation of the Willow Beetle, the Phratora 
vitellincc. 
These beetles are of the shape figured at p. 138, 
with the natural length given by line accompanying, | 
of a shiny greenish or bluish or bronze tint above, 
more brassy below. They shelter during winter 
in any convenient place, as under old bark of Willow 
or other trees, in rubbish on Willow grounds, in 
crevices of fences, &c. 
From these they come out in spring, and begin 
the first attack somewhere about May. They lay 
their eggs on the surface of the leaf, and the pale 
black-spotted grubs which hatch from these feed on the under side of 
the leafage, working right through until the upper film becomes so 
thin that it cracks or dries away, leaving the leaf in holes as figured. 
This makes the second attack. Later on these maggots turn to 
chrysalids in the ground, from which the autumn brood of beetles 
comes up. These attack the leaves and young shoots, and do immense 
Willow leaf partly 
eaten by Willow 
Beetle. 
