Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-01-14

orono, Me, Jan. 13.-(special).-
rrhe following was made public today
lby Charles %. Woods. director OF the
Maine Agricultural Experiment station
at tho University Of Maine:
For several years the Department OF
Entomology Of the Maine Agricultural
Experiment Station has devoted con-
siderable attention to insects destruct-
i've to the fruit Of the BURBERRY. A
bulletin In press on this subject by
William C.. Woods Of Cornell Univer-
sity, who, as a member of the Summer
Staff Of Special Fntomologists. was
engaged to carry on this work, gives
among others an account Of a tiny
caterpillar which develops in the blue
berry. The following statements are
extracts from this publication which
. will be ready for distribution early in
1916.
The BURBERRY maggot excepted, the
insect most commonly found in the
fruit is the larva Of little moth. This
was rather abundant in 1913 but was
extensively parasitized. which SO re-
duced it's numbers that it was quite
rare in 1914 and had not appreclably
reesta blished itself in 1915. 1t has
been bred from the fruit Of three spec
les of blueberries and is generally dis
tributed through the State so far as
the records Of this Experiment Sta =
ton show.
The eggs are deposited singly on the
outside Of the berry, usually some-
where around the calyx lobe. They
may be found on either side Of the
sepal or on the floor Of the calyx cup
Oviposition takes place while the fruit
is still green. for the eggs are depos-
tied during the latter part of June and
early July. and the larva is usually at
least half grown before the berry in
which it is living ripens.
There are larval instars,-that is
the caterpillar sheds its skin times.
each stage constituting period of
growth between molts. From the OBJ
servations made % days seems to be a
fair estimate of the time spent in the
berries. The earliest date on which a
larva was found was June %. The
majority leave the fruit about the goth
Of July in a normal season or later in
backward summer.
In most cases the larva when it
matches enters the berry near the
calyx end usually on the outside OF
the berry at the base of one of the
sepals. but some enter by the calyX
cup and d few near the stem end
Most commonly the Iarva enters be-
meath a sepal and tunnels around the
circumference of the calyx cup in a
complete circle, just beneath the sur
face; then it burrows down to the
stem end, sometimes through the cen
ter and sometimes close TO the surface
Often the skin is discolored where the
trail runs beneath it. From this point
on the fruit is irregularly eaten
Merely a shell Of skin filled with dried
pulp, the coat Of the seeds and flne
brown frass all woven together with
silk, is left when the larya is full
grown. Frequently , berries are
webbed together. In such case the
first one is usually SMALL and dry anc
full OF webbed frass. the second Is
larger and fresher. They are firmly
attached together by silk and the lar
val trail leads from one into the other
a, the point Of attachment. usually or
one side Of the fruit. Rarely OIL
even 4 berries are thus united.
When full grown, the larvae leave
the berries. In the laboratory they
entered rotten wood in preference II
sand or earth. They spin silken CO.
coons in mich they pass the winter.
Several times the behavior of hai
grown caterpillar removed from on'
berry vas observed as ii burroWe'
into a fresh one. When the larva L
first nut on a new berry. 1t leaves /
and wanders around uneasily for mai
or three-quarters of an hour. mali!
returning to the fruit. For few min
utes it wanders about the outside. ap
parentIy eating something from tn
surface although the bloom Is no
rubbed off. Invariably the larva goe
10 the calyx cup in order to enter IN
fruit II the berry is Of small or meo
ium size, before starting to burroW, IN
larya spins a web over the entire caiy'
cup. first standing right side up OF
the bottom. spinning few strahu
across one diameter and FOLLOWING
them with guide lines to the sides
then standing wrong side up an
cIinaing to the under surface or Tn
threads, it spins dense network
silk enclosing the cup completely ex
cent for little hole about the siz
Of its body left diagonally opposite III
point where the entrance hole ls 10 o
made. II the berry is an especlaii
large one, frequently the larva spin
over only half of the calyx cup max
ing in this case two silken walls
right angles to each other. Here, toe
a hole is left in the silk. While spin
ming the caterpiilars cling to their sup
port by their prolegs. waving the hea
and ,horax back and forth and from
side to side.
the minutes are required for the pre-
ross noted above, then for some nv
minutes the larva wanders round an
round in the calyx cup. occasionak
pausins to peer out through the MOI
in the side. Finally 1t stops this mean
dering and starts work diagonaliy or
posite the opening left in the Sill
through which the latter abdomins
seRments project. The entrance is a
ways made on the floor OF the caly
cun. never in the center but always
NJ