INSECTS AFFECTING PARK AND WOODLAND TREES 27 I 



Bibliography 

 1904 Felt, E. P. & Joutel, L. H. N. V. State Mus. liul. 74. p. 59-62 



Twig girdler 

 Oiic/dcrcs ci/ii^/iiaiits Sa)" 



Girdled and occasionally severed twigs and branches of various trees, may he the 

 work of 4 thick bodied, long liorned beetle nieasuring from a little over '2 to nearlv y'l 

 inch in length, with the wing covers of the male irreguhfly dotted with faint, tawny spots. 



This beautiful species was described by Say in 1826, who stated that 

 it was not common and occurred on hickory. It was noticed b)- Dr Fitch in 

 1859, as a hickory insect. The work of tliis interesting girdler in hickory, 

 was brought to the attention of Messrs Walsh and Riley in 1868, who were 

 at first unable to identify it, and afterwards recognized the depredator as 

 this species, and on looking over the literature, they ascertained that its 

 curious method of operation had been previously discovered by Haldeman. 

 This insect has been repeatedly noticed in various parts of the countr}-, 

 specially because of its curious method of operation, and particularly in 

 the Southern States, where it appears to be more abundant and destructive 

 than farther north. 



Description. The egg has been characterized by Professor Parrott, as 



white, elongate, oval in shape, with the ends obtusely rounded, indented 



with slight longitudinal depressions, and about ', n inch long by one fourth 



as wide. 



The newly hatchetl larva has been described by him as a soft, fleshy, 

 legless grub slightly covered with light colored hairs. It is about ' 10 inch 

 long, somewhat shiny, white, with its mouth parts slightly tinged with 

 brown. When full grown it is about ^:>/^ inch in length, nearly cylindric in 

 form, tapering a little posteriorly and swollen at the anterior extremit), 

 within which the small head may be retracted. The mandibles are then 

 light brown, shading to almost piceous at the tip. The other mouth parts 

 are yellowish, except for some brownish colored notches. " On the upper 

 and subdorsal portion of the epicranium, near anterior margin, is a row of 

 short, parallel, chitinous ridges, interrupted at the middle by the dorsal 

 suture. Upon the dorsal surface of each segment of the mature larva, com- 

 mencincf with the third and ending with the tenth, and on the ventral side 



