684 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



This beetle differs from the Eastern apple twig borer {AmpMcerus 

 hiccmdatus Say) in being larger. 



Regarding the life history, Dr. Edwin C. Van Dyke, Department of 

 Entomology, University of California, under date of September 26, 

 1913, writes : " It breeds normally in mesquit and probably some other 

 desert trees. I used to breed it from mesquit cord wood, along with a 

 larger species, A. fortis, and have received it from the more desert parts 

 of Los Angeles County and Imperial County and so forth. It ranges, 

 I think, throughout the desert southwest, running well into Mexico. 

 A. fortis extends farther south into South America and even into the 

 Galapagos Islands. I do not know of either species attacking living 

 trees, though can believe that they w^ould if the trees were diseased or 

 dying, or if they had dead limbs still attached in which they could get 

 a start." 



Distribution. 



The distribution of this beetle is apparently quite wide. It was first 

 reported from Los Angeles County, October 4, 1891, by D. W. Coquil- 

 lett.^ Specimens were received from the same place in September, 

 1913, from Mr. B. R. Jones. Mr. Geo. P. Weldon has reported the work 

 of this beetle at Dyerville, Humboldt County, and Stockton, San 

 Joaquin County. Prof. H. C. FalP gives the following localities: 

 Riverside, Riverside County; Redlands, San Bernardino County; 

 Pomona and Long Beach, Los Angeles County. Dr. Edwm C. "Van 

 Dyke reports it as occuring in the Southwest, especially mentioning 

 Los Angeles and Imperial counties. 



Food Plants. 



Dead or dying wood seems to be the preferred food of this insect and 

 allied species. Dr. Van Dyke gives the mesquit or algaroba [Prosopis 

 juliflora (Schwartz) DC] a desert plant common in the southwestern 

 part of the United States as the normal food plant. Mr. Weldon 

 reports pear as a host. Coquillett bred adults from dead branches of a 

 fig tree and from the dry canes of a grapevine. The apricot is also a 

 host, having been sent in by Mr. Jones of Los Angeles. Mr. Leroy 

 Childs reports this insect working very extensively in dry orange wood 

 at Redlands, Cal. 



Control. 



With the present fund of knowledge, the only control measures to 

 suggest are : 



1. Destroy breeding places if possible. 



2. If present in an orchard, eliminate unhealthy or dead trees. 



3. Keep trees in good growing vigor. They are less liable to become 



infested. 



4. Prune out and burn all dead wood. 



^Insect Life, IV, p. 261, 1892. 



=Coleoptera of Southern California, Cal. Aca(f. Sciences, VIII, p. 134, 1901. 



