. Bulletin - Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station. Agriculture -- Massachusetts. Figure S. Plum Gouger. Note smoothness of gouger's back in com- parison with roughness of plum curculio. Photo by R. L. Coffin. Insects The beach plum is beset by a number of insects and diseases which, if not controlled, cut down the crop and detract from the value and appearance of the fruit. In the following descriptions only broad general control measures are given. For detailed instructions, see the spray chart on page 15. The plum gouger {Anthonomous scutellaris) is undoubtedly the worst insect pest
. Bulletin - Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station. Agriculture -- Massachusetts. Figure S. Plum Gouger. Note smoothness of gouger's back in com- parison with roughness of plum curculio. Photo by R. L. Coffin. Insects The beach plum is beset by a number of insects and diseases which, if not controlled, cut down the crop and detract from the value and appearance of the fruit. In the following descriptions only broad general control measures are given. For detailed instructions, see the spray chart on page 15. The plum gouger {Anthonomous scutellaris) is undoubtedly the worst insect pest of the beach plum. The adult is a small dun-colored snout beetle less than 1/5 inch long, often described as looking like a baby elephant. The adults are said to come out of winter quarters early in the spring before the blossoms open and feed on the opening buds and leaves. Shortly after the fruit has set, the beetles feed on the pulp through small holes made in the skin. The female lays her eggs singly in cavities which she gouges in the fruit with her snout. When the eggs hatch, the larvae burrow into the pit where they feed on the kernel till full grown. The pupal stage is passed in the pit. Before changing to a pupa, the larva eats an exit hole through the hard shell of the pit to provide for the escape of the beetle. The adults emerge in late August or early September, eat little, and soon go into hibernation under trash in the vicinity. Infested fruits do not drop but ripen prematurely. The life history of this insect shows why, as has sometimes happened, the grower sells plums thinking there is nothing more wrong with them than a "sting" or two on the surface, and later the custo- mer complains that the plums are wormy. Any grower who values his repu- tation must be careful about selling "stung" plums. Spraying before bloom has been the standard recommendation for control. However, experimental sprays of lead arsenate in 1942 and 1943 were not succe
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