80 FOREST ENTOMOLOGY. 



inasmuch as all attacked trees are generally in such a back-going con- 

 dition that the forester should, as far as practicable, cut them out of 

 the wood as soon as the attack is observed. 



Genus Orchestes. 



Antennae distinctly bent, and inserted behind the middle of the 

 trunk ; head small, and the upper surface almost entirely occupied by 

 the eyes, which are only separated by a narrow bend ; thorax very 

 small in proportion to the abdomen. Scutellum small but dis- 

 tinct. Elytra long, and well covering the pygidiuni ; femora strongly 

 developed. 



Orchestes fagi (Linn.) 



The Orchestes fagi, or beech -leaf miner beetle, is, as its name 

 implies, very destructive to the foliage of beech-trees. The most 

 conspicuous portion of the damage is that done by the larvae, which 

 gives the tree the appearance of having suffered severely from late 

 spring frosts. In fact, even practical men often erroneously attribute 

 the injuries to frost. There is, however, this practical distinction 

 between the two — viz., that frost generally shrivels up the entire leaf, 

 whereas the injuries done by this beetle only affect one-half. 



The beetle hibernates during the winter months under fallen 

 leaves, in the crevices of bark, or, in fact, under any rough cover. 

 It makes its appearance on the first warm days in spring, simul- 

 taneously with the opening of the leaves. It does not expose itself 

 very much during the day, but in the night-time moves on to the 

 young leaves, in which it cuts small circular holes, giving the foliage 

 the appearance of having been shot at. The female deposits her eggs 

 in the midrib, and as a rule about half-way down. The eggs hatch 

 in about ten days, when the larva immediately makes a straif/ht cut 

 across the leaf to the outer edge, but generally in the same direction 

 as the lateral veins, so that it lands near the apex of the leaf. It 

 then turns inwards, and eats a fairly large portion of the parenchyma, 

 thus exposing the epidermal skins, and causing the large blotch referred 

 to (fig. 77). The small, straight, larval track from the midrib to the 

 outer edge is very important, inasmuch as its method is entirely 

 confined to Coleoptera, and is a decided mark of distinction from the 

 injuries caused by Hymenoptera, &c. The larvae are full fed in 



