Tsvetoed

in Russian, the name of several species of beetles whose larvae feed on plant buds and flowers. The three most common species are Anthonomus pomorum, A. rubi, and Meligethes aeneus, which are found in Europe, Asia, and North America. A. pomorum, a member of the family Curculionidae, infests apple and pear trees. The beetle punctures the flower buds and lays eggs in them, and the larvae eat away the interior of the buds. A. rubi infests strawberries and raspberries. The larvae eat out the buds. M. aeneus, a member of the family Nitidulidae, is a dangerous pest to plants reserved for planting material of the family Cruciferae, such as rape, mustard, cabbage, and turnip. Here also, the beetles lay eggs in the buds, which the larvae eat.

Measures of control include removing dead tree bark, under which the beetles winter; sealing hollows in trees; shaking the beetles from the plants in the spring before eggs are laid and destroying them; and applying insecticides in the spring.