This section is from the book "Commercial Gardening Vol1", by John Weathers (the Editor). Also available from Amazon: Commercial Gardening, A Practical & Scientific Treatise For Market Gardeners.
Name of Pest. | Resting Period (Pupa Stage). | Destructive Period (Caterpillar and Perfect Insect Stage). | Plants Attacked and Remedies. |
Lackey Moth (Clisio-campa neustria, fig. 121). | July to April. | April to July. | Larvae feed upon leaves of fruit and forest trees. Eggs on branches should be looked for in April and destroyed. Spray with quassia and soft soap in May and June. Collect cocoons from trees in July and August, and burn. |
Lettuce Fly (Anthomyia Lactucœ). | Oct. to April, in Lettuce heads. | April to Oct. | Attacks flowers of Lettuce plant when grown for seed. Cultivate well, and destroy all old Lettuce stems. |
Lettuce - root Aphis (Pemphigus lactuarius). | Winter. | April to Sept. | Larvae pass from leaves to roots and feed upon them. Lime, or soot, or soft soapy water good remedies; also frequent hoeing. |
Magpie Moth (Abraxas grossulariata, fig. 123). | Oct. to July. | Aug., Sept. | Larvae feed upon leaves of Red and White Currants, Gooseberries. Examine bushes for pupaa which hang down from Sept. to July, and burn all collected. Spray bushes with Paris green, arsenate of lead, etc., in Aug. and Sept. before first attack. |
March Moth (Anisop-teryx œscularia). See Winter Moth for habits and remedies. | |||
May Bug. See Cockchafer. | |||
Mealy Bug (Dactylopius adonidum). | - | Jan. to Dec. | A hothouse pest of stove and greenhouse plants, Vines, etc. Paraffin washes and fumigation. |
Millipedes or Julus Worms (Species of Julus and Polydes-mus, fig. 131). | Jan. to Dec. | The larvae (often called wireworms) feed upon roots of Potatoes, Onions, Carrots, Turnips, Cabbages, etc. Best remedy frequent hoeing, and strewing lime or soot on ground, and avoid rank manure. | |
Mole Cricket (Gryllo-talpa vulgaris, fig. 125). | Oct. to May.- | June to Sept. | Larvae attack roots of vegetable crops, and also caterpillars and other insects, and may be discovered by small heaps of mould. They may be caught by placing hot manure in deep holes, in Sept., and when insects have nested they may be dug out. Frequently hoe ground. |
Mottled Umber or Great Winter Moth (Hyber-nia defoliaria, fig. 122). See also "Winter Moth", fig. 144. | Nov. to April. | April, May, and June for larvae; Oct., Nov. for egg laying. | Larvae feed upon leaves of Apples, Pears, Plums, Roses, etc. In Oct. and Nov. eggs are laid on shoots, which should be washed with caustic soda; ground should be well hoed during summer. Grease-banding useful in Oct. |
Narcissus Fly (Merodon Narcissi, fig. 124). | Nov. to Feb. | Mar. to Nov. | Maggots attack bulbs of Narcissi. Affected bulbs are best burned. Hoe soil between crops, and place saucers of sweet solutions between Narcissi to trap perfect flies. |
Name of Pest. | Resting Period (Pupa Stage). | Destructive Period (Caterpillar and Perfect Insect Stage). | Plants Attacked and Remedies. |
Nematoid Worms. See Eelworms. | |||
Nut Weevil (Balaninus nucum). | Autumn to Spring. | Spring and Summer. | Cultivate the soil, and shake diseased fruits on to cloths beneath trees in May and June, and destroy. |
Onion Fly (Anthomyia ceparum or Phorbia cepetorum). | Autumn to Spring. | Spring to Autumn. | Larvae penetrate Onion bulbs and cause leaves to flag. Destroy affected bulbs and hoe ground frequently between plants. Strew lime or soot, and spray with petroleum emulsion early in the season. |
Onion Fly, Brassy (Humerus œneus, fig. 126). | Oct. to Mar. | April to Sept. | Grubs attack bulbs of Onions during season. Destroy injured bulbs, and cultivate soil with hoe in summer and winter. |
(Sitones lineata, S. cri-nita, fig. 132). | Sept. to Mar. | Mar. to Sept. | Weevils destroy leaves of Peas and Beans. Dust with lime or soot, or spray with nicotine or quassia solutions. |
Pea Moth (Endopisa proximana). | Sept. to May. | May to Sept. | Peapods are attacked, the caterpillars feeding on the peas in summer, and escaping into ground in autumn. Cultivate soil by digging and hoeing. |
Peach Aphis (Aphis Amygdali, Myzus Per-sicœ). | Sept. to April. | April to Sept. | Attacks young leaves and causes them to curl. Fumigate under glass. Syringe frequently with nicotine washes in open air. |
Peach Scale (Lecanium Persicœ). | Winter. | Spring and Summer. | The young shoots of Peach trees. Paraffin emulsion and caustic wash in winter. |
Pear-leaf-blister Moth (Lyonetia Clerckella, fig. 130). | Oct. to April. | April to Oct. | Pale-green larvae mine the leaves of Apples, Pears, Cherries, forming tunnels and blisters. Spray with Paris green, nicotine, arsenate, or other washes in April, May, and June. Cultivate soil well in winter and spring. |
Pear-leaf Mite (Phytop-tus Pyri, fig. 127). | Autumn to Spring. | Spring to Autumn. | This minute pest penetrates leaf tissues of Pear, causing spots and blotches. Remedies for Currant Gall Mite may be tried. |
Pear Midge (Cecidomyia or Diplosis pyrivora). | Autumn to Spring. | Spring and Summer. | Eggs are laid in blossoms, and the yellow maggots feed on young fruits, sometimes twenty to thirty in one fruit. Spray with Paris green, arsenate of lead, etc., before flowers open. Collect diseased fruit, and cultivate soil well in dormant season. |
Pear Oyster Scale (Dias-pis ostreœformis, fig. 128). | Winter. | May to Aug. | Paraffin emulsion in summer, and caustic wash in winter, to cleanse the infested bark. |
Fig. 121. - Lackey Moth (Clisiocampa neustria) 1, Eggs. 2, Caterpillar. 3, Moth.
Fig. 122. - Mottled Umber Moth (Hybernia defoliaria).
1. Male Moth. 2, Female. 3, Caterpillar (nat. size).
Fig. 123. - Magpie Moth (Abraxas grossulariata) and Larva.
Fig. 124. - Narcissus Fly (Merodon Narcissi).
1, Infested bulb; a and 6, grub holes. 2, Grub. 3, Pupa. 4, Insect.
Fig. 125. - Mole Cricket (Gryllotalpa vulgaris).
1, Eggs. 2 and 3, Larvae of different ages. 4. Mature Insect.
Fig. 126. - Brassy Onion Fly (Humerus œneus).
1 and 2, Grub (nat. size and enlarged). 3 and 4, Pupa (nat. size and enlarged). 5 and 6, Insect (enlarged and nat size).
Fig. 127. - Pear-leaf Mite (Phytoptus Pyri).
1, Female. 2 and 3, Legs (magnified 550 times). 4, Infested Pear leaf.
Fig. 128. - Pear Oyster Scale (Diaspis ostreaformis).
Showing scales on shoot (nat. size), and insect and scales (greatly enlarged).
Fig. 129. - Pear Sucker (Psylla Pyri), magnified.
Fig. 130. - Pear-leaf-blister Moth (Lyonetia Cterckella).
1, Blistered Pear leaf. 2, Caterpillar (nat. size); 3, magnified. 4, Pupa. 5, 6, Moth (nat. size and magnified).
Fig. 131. - Millipedes or Julus Worms.
1, Julus londinengis. 2 and 3, J. guttatus (nat. size and magnified). 4, J. terrestris; 5, horn (magnified). 6 and 7, Polydesmus complanatus (nat. size and magnified).
 
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