2o8 



//yV ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY. 



cates the presence of such a larva. Apple-trees are sometimes 

 attacked, and the best measure for general adoption is the sys- 

 tematic gathering and burning of all fallen twigs and branches 

 during the winter. The insects are not confined to terminal 

 branches only, but sometimes attack the trunks of young shoots 

 or trees after a fire has been over the ground and scorched them, 

 and in such cases the larvae make no effort to girdle. 



In the genus Cyllene we have moderate-sized species that 

 are dark velvety brown or blackish, with bright golden-yellow 

 bands. Of these, C. pidiis infests hickory not uncommonly, 

 and appears in spring, while C. robinitz infests the locust, and 

 appears in fall. This latter is a serious pest, and makes growing 

 locusts simply impossible in many localities. As soon as a tree 

 attains a moderate size it is riddled with the 

 large holes made by the larvae, and leads but 

 a sickly life for a few years thereafter, event- 

 ually dying down to the ground. The 

 beetles themselves frequent the flowers of 

 golden-rod, and may be collected there in 

 great numbers, the females resorting to the 

 locusts only when ready to oviposit. An 

 allied, yet larger and prettier, species, P/a- 

 gionohLS speciosus, bores into maple, but 

 is usually somewhat rare and has not proved 

 injurious until very recently in some parts of New Hampshire, 

 where certain shade-trees suffered. 



We sometimes find a small larva belonging to this series boring 

 into the branches and smaller shoots of currant- 

 bushes, and early in spring these change to a 

 small, brown, somewhat flattened beetle, rarely 

 exceeding one-quarter of an inch in length, 

 clothed with white hair grouped to form two 

 white spots towards the end of the wing-covers. 

 This is the Psenocorzis snpernotahis, which is 

 occasionally abundant enough to be troublesome. 

 It can be held in check by close pruning during 

 the winter, the cuttings to be burnt before spring 

 opens to destroy the contained larvae. 



In late spring or early summer some of the terminal shoots 



Plagionotus speciosus. 



KlG. 199. 



American cur- 

 rant-borer, Pseno- 

 corus supernotatus , 

 enlarged. 



