PEACH INSECTS. The principal enemy of the peach in the United States is the peach-tree borer, which is the larva of a sesiid moth (.Ege ria eatitiosa). The moth, which has partly trans parent wings and closely resembles a wasp, is day flier. It appears in the Northern United States and Canada from about the middle of July to August; in the South, much earlier. Its eggs are laid on the bark of the peach-tree near the surface of the ground. As soon as the larva has hatched it works downward in the bark to the root, forming a tunnel which soon becomes filled with gum. As the larva increases in size, it devours the bark and sap-wood, causing an exudation of gum which ultimately makes a thick mass about the base of the tree. Larvae of different sizes may be found all through the fall and winter months, and the full-grown ones transform into within pod-like cases made from the castings mixed with gum and threads of silk. The pupa state lasts about three weeks or more. This insect is not confined absolutely to peach, but sometimes occurs upon plum, and the presence of the is readily detected by' the exudation of gum, when they may be either re moved by hand or. after some scraping, the ap plication of hot water is effective to some degree. The best remedy, how ever, consists in protect ing the lower part of the hunk of the tree by a band made of stiff paper or straw.
The peach-twig borer (Anarsia lineatella) is a moth whose hibernating larvae injure the trees in early spring, when they bore into the shoots of new leaves, killing the growing terminals and preventing the devell opment of the branch. It is an Old World insect.
which has done vast damage on the Pacific coast, and somewhat in the East. It also attacks re lated fruit trees.
The fruit-tree bark-beetle (geolyt us rugulosus) frequently damages the peach, making small holes like shot-holes through the bark. The beetles will lay their eggs by preference in de vitalized trees, but will occasionally attack healthy trees. Where this insect is abundant it will be well to girdle one or more trees to he used as traps. The issuing beetles will lay their eggs by preference in the trees thus injured and later they may be cut down and burned.
The San Jose scale is a serious enemy to the peach (see SAN Jost SCALE), while the Peach tree bark-louse (Leeanium persica') is another scale-insect enemy of this tree. The leaves are attacked by the New York weevil (lehlhocrys NoveLoracensis) and by .the peach-tree leaf-roller (Plycholoma persicana) , as well as by the larva of Callimorpha Lceontii. Spraying with an arsenical poison is a remedy against these insects. The peach-tree aphis (Mye,us persica') and the black peach-aphis (Aphis are the only other enemies of any importance. These are combated by kerosene emulsion.
Consult Saunders, Insects Injurious to Fruits (Philadelphia, 1889), and the various circulars and bulletins of the Division of Entomology, United States Department of Agriculture' es pecially Farmers' Bulletin Aro. 80.