14 



its life, consumes the soft sap wood immediately under the bark. But when the worm 

 ^'s- 6. apiiroaches maturity and has become stronger and more robust, it gnaws into 



"' the more solid heart-wood, forming a flattish and not a cylindrical hole such 



as is formed by most other borers, the burrow which it excavates being twice 

 as broad as it is high, the height measuring the tenth of an inch or slightly 

 over. Within this hole the larva may be almost always found with its tail curled 

 round completely towards the head, in a manner peculiar to the larvae of beetles 

 belonging to the family Bnpn'slidci'. It remains in the tree about a year. It 

 is in the latter end of the summer, that the larva penetrates into the hardwood of the tree; its 

 burrow extending upwards from the spot under the bark where it had previously entered. On 

 laying open one of the burrows Dr. Fitch found it more than an iuch in length, and all its 

 lower part filled and blocked up with the fine sawdust like castings of the larva. With regard 

 to remedies, Dr. Fitch advises three : " First, coating or impregnating the bark with some sub- 

 tance, repulsive to the insect. Second, destroying the beetle by hand-picking ; and Third, de- 

 stroying the larva by cutting into and extracting it from its burrow." 



His advice is so plain and comprehensive than I cannot do better than quote it at length. 

 '' As it is during the month of June and forepart of July that the beetle frequents the trees 

 for the purpose of depositing its eggs in the bark, it is ])robable that whitewashing the trunk 

 and large limbs, or rubbing them over with soft soap early in June, will secure them from mo- 

 lestation from this enemy. And in districts where this borer is known to infest the apple trees 

 the trees should be repeatedly inspected during this part of the year, and any of these beetles, 

 that are found upon them should be captured and destroyed. It is at mid-day of warm sun- 

 shiny days that the search for them will be most successful, as they are then most active, 

 and shew themselves abroad. The larvaa, when young, appear to have the same habit with 

 most other borers, of keeping their burrow clean by throwing their castings out of it through 

 a small orifice in the bark. They can therefore be discovered, probably, liy the new, saw- 

 dust like powder, which will be found adhering to the outer surface of the bark. In August 

 or September, whilst the worms arc yet young, and before they have penetrated the heart- 

 wood, the trees should be carefully examined for these worms. Whenever, from any particles 

 of the sawdust like powder appearing externally upon the bark, one of these worms is sus- 

 pected, it will be ea.sy, at least in young trees, where the bark is thin and smooth, to ascer- 

 tain by puncturing it with a stiflFpin, whether there is any hollow cavity beneath, and if one 

 is discovered, the bark should be out away with a knife until the worm is found and destroyed. 

 After it has penetrated the solid wood, it ceases to eject its castings and consequently, we are- 

 then left without any clue by which to discover it. Hence the importance of searching for it 

 seasonably." 



The natural food of this insect is believed to be the white oak, but it is found al.so on 

 many other trees, such as apple, peach and plum, and, according to Mr. C. V. Riley has most 

 seriously aflFcoted the soft maples in the valley of the Mississippi. The beetle when caught 

 contracts all its limbs and feigns death. 



Tbe Locust-Tree Borer. \ Clytus Pidus. — Fabr.J 



Order, Coleoptera ; Family, Cerambycid.^. 



This active little beetle belongs to the same family as the Clylus Spcciosus, of Say, whose 

 attacks on the maple tree I described in my report for 1872. 



This is a very common insect, and a most fatal obstacle to the cultivation of the locust 

 tree in Ontario. 



In 1866, at the meeting of the Entomological Society of Canada, Prof Croft, of Toronto, 

 drew the attention of the members to the ravages during the past summer, of this beetle, 

 and stated that many of the acacia trees of Toronto and the vicinity, had fallen victims to the 

 larvae. Since that date the writer has watched with interest the steady westward progiess of 

 this destructive ])est. Indeed, so rapid has been its spread, that there is hardly a locality in 

 Ontario now, where it has not made its appearance, and we may almost give up any attempt 

 to check its ravages, or to successfully procure the cultivation of the locust tree. 



These beetles are so common now that they will be readily recognized without any 

 engraving. They are from three quarters to half an inch in length. Colour, velvet black.. 



