ENEMY OF BLACKBERRY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 846, 14 December 1929, Page 1

ENEMY OF BLACKBERRY

INSECTS IDENTIFIED AS BRONZE BEETLES SERIOUS PEST TO APPLES The mysterious insects which have been found attacking blackberry bushes in various parts of the North Island have been identified as common New Zealand bronze beetles. This information has been secured from the Cawthron Institute, Nelson, by The Sun, which on November 29 forwarded samples of the blackberry which had been attacked, together with a number of the insects. These were secured by Mr. J. Rennie, a resident of Stanley Point, whose attention was attracted by a message from Thames which announced that for some time past observers have noticed that blackberry vines in small clumps were not makiag the progress shown in former years. The fact prompted a farmer interested in the pest to take closer notice. As a result of his observations, he found the blackberry was being attacked very vigorously by an insect which was doing a great amount of damage. The publication of this report interested Mr. Rennie, who has been making similar investigations for the past few weeks. On vines near his property he noticed insects which correspond closely to the description forwarded from Thames. The leaves on which they were found were riddled with holes and the plant appeared to be in an unhealthy condition. Samples of the eaten leaves and a number of the insects were shown to experts at the Auckland University College, but. no information as to the species of insect was available offhand. The reply from Mr. David Miller, chief of the entomological department of the Cawthron Institute. Is as follows: "This insect is the common New Zealand bronze beetle, which is very commonly found upon blackberry and upon many other plants to which it ®ay ao considerable damage. It is indeed a very serious pest of apple trees, reducing the export T alue of the crop fully 25 per cent, each year. “Aa a control for blackberry it it not auffiicently effective, and in any cate cannot be encouraged on account of its depredations upon apple*. Indeed the control of this **«ct is one of the major proboccupying our attention at present time. It lays its eggs upon the roots of Wants, and the life cycle occupies •bout a year/*