The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-07-15
Insects Injurious to The Culrant

AhnoVn AiUtuA uttu " luu wi IuuL
In an official cOmmunicationlately
received from App. M. Smith, Sec
rotary ofthe Manistee Horticultural
Society, am desired to give in
formation in reference to the cur
rant borer. Upon examination
find that this insect is working its
blighting ravages in this vicinity;
so it is not unlikely that it is widely
distributed throughout our State.
This being the case, the reply to
the Manistee pomologists will be OF
general interest, and will give it
to the press of the State.
IMPORTED CURRANT BORER.
As will be noticed, this beautiful
wasp-like moth belongs to tho same
family and genus as the peach borer.
The moths of this family may be
readily told by their trim form,
quick movements diurnal habits,
flying in the hot sunshine, and es-
pecially by the brush-like character
of the tip of the body. This last
character will serve to distinguish
them from the wasps,-an import
ant fact, as even entomologists of
considerable experience are liable
to be deceived, so striking is the
resemblance. The larvae of the
family, so far as l know, are with
out exception borcrs. They are
white with brOwnish head, and
generally pupatc in cocoon made
of their own chips or dust.
This Egsrian, as will be noticed
by the name, is imported, and as is
generally true, is all the worse from
that fact. AS a rule the imported
species are the most destructive.
DESCRIPTION AND NATURAL HISTORY.
The moth is little less than one
half inch long, and expands three
fourths of an inch. The color is a
deep blue, with three yellow bands
across the abdomen, yellow collar
and yellow mixed with blue mark
ing the legs. These yellow bands,
so like the same in many of our
wasps, renders this species all the
more liable to be mistaken, espcci-
ally as they mingle with the wasps,
making a gay company in the bright
sunshine. Yet the tufted extremity
in lieu of pointed one tipped with
a dreaded spear, will quickly un.
deceive us.
These moths appear in June and
July, l found several specimens
yesterday, June %. They deposit
their eggs near bud, at which
work they seem very busily Ell.
gagged during the heat of the day
These eggs soon hatch, and the tiny
caterpillar at once bores to the cen.
ter of the stem. What more
strange then that this minute larva
almost microscopic, can thus per.
forate the hard woody stem! These
larvae may be found in the stem
from June to July the following
year. / have taken the moth from
the bushes with my net, and the
nearly full-grown larvae from the
hollow stem the same day, June %
A curious example of wise fore.
sight is afforded by these larvae in
their eating through the hard wood
and bark before assuming the pupa
state, as without such forecast and
action, the hollow stem would be q
fatal dungeon to the moth, whose
slender sucking tube and wanting
jaws would render her escape hope.
less.
In May, June, and July, the in
sect becomes pupa always lying
very near the outside opening, in
a poor apology of cocoon, if any
made of its own lcavings. Tina,
able entomologist, Rev. G. j. s
Bethune, of Ontario, speaks of tho
chrysalid sleeping peacefully in this
cavity while the bleak wintry winds
howl among the branches. (Sct
chronological Report of Ontario
for the year 1917 Such remark
would be true only Of the larva.
In June and July the moths agar
appear.
These insects seem to attack tn,
red currant more generally, yet thu
black variety, and even the goose
berry, is not exempt from its blast
ing work. Not only de the broker
stems, so weakened as to be unable
to stand upright, but also the sickl,
appearance of the foliage tell O
this insects presence and work
Bending thestocks will also general.
ly give the needed information, as
the affected ones bend more readily
The hollows in stocks cut across
will inform us of their previous o.
present work.
REMEDIES.
IL has been suggested that W,
| catch the moths. / think this no