BLACKBERRY PARASITE

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 December 1929, Page 8

BLACKBERRY PARASITE

(To the Editor.) Sir,—I have read with interest the Press Association message from the North Island relating to a parasite that has been attacking the blackberry there. I am convinced that the insect is identical with the one I have been, watching closely for the last four years at Paroa, a specimen of which I am forwarding to you together with a sample of the blackberry attacked. There is no doubt that the blackberry sustains a t decided check, but the insect does not appear until about -the end of October and disappears again about the end of February, and the blackberry comes away very rapidly after its ravages have ceased. This insect has several characteristcs. The first month it is light brown in colour, but changes to black. It has the peculiar habit of feigning death the moment it is disturbed and if. it is placed on a piece of paper it will remain motionless for a long time, it also moves by means of hopping as well as walking/ but not having a suit-

able glass lam not able to , say if it is able to fly. When first noticed, the only place I could find it was on some blackberries growing in a Macracarpa hedge on Mr Sneddon’s farm at Paroa, but they have now spread over the whole of the Paroa, Gladstone, and Rutherglen district and practically every bush shows some of its y ou “S shoots withering and falling off. Although the parasite appears, to check the blackberry, its action appears to be so slow that it is doubtful if they will ever be the means of eradicating the blackberry unless they should attack the stem instead of the young shoots and leaves only KENNETH V. SHEPHERD. Rutherglen, December 2. (We have handed the specimens to the Greymouth representative of the Agricultural Department, who will toiward them to the proper authorities.

Ed “Star”.)