Page:The Olive Its Culture in Theory and Practice.djvu/123

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Of these insects, the most dangerous are the Twig borers, the Psilla, the Moth and the Fly; the scale insects and the olive louse come next.

Among the very small insects which damage the olive there are three curculions, two of the Apion genus and a third of the Mecinus.

The first of the Apion kind, has the antennæ, eight-jointed; the first joint is long and conical, the second a trifle shorter, the third still shorter than the second and the remaining five are very short, gradually broadening towards the extremities into a solid pointed club. The rostrum, cylindrical and arched, jaws short, eyes lateral, protruding and round. Thorax conical, body curved and convex, compressed anteriorly.

Winged, shell very small and pointed, shield wing ovoid, larger at the base than the thorax, jaws elongated and truncated, femora puffed out, tarsi spongy beneath, with the first two joints conical, penultimate expanded, heart-shaped and bifurcated, the last cylindrical, enlarged at the extremity and furnished with two hooks.

The insect is about half an inch in length, body blackish, thorax gray on upper part, shield wing ridged with blackish green, sparsely sprinkled with dirty white hair, femora deep yellow, tarsi gray.

The other Apion differs from the one described, by having the first joint of the antennæ somewhat longer, the second shorter than the first, and the other six so short as to be almost globular; the rostrum less arched, the hind legs having a sort of stinger or tooth, The last joint of the tarsi rather long and cylindrical, with the feet