June, '17] BURKE: NOTES ON WESTERN BUPRESTIDAE 325 



The paper was followed by a discussion by several members as to 

 more detail in the methods used. 



Chairman A. W. Morrill: The next paper will be presented 

 by H. E. Burke. 



NOTES ON SOME WESTERN BUPRESTID^i 



By H. E. Burke, 



Specialist in Forest Entomology, Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Department of 



Agriculture 



During the past fifteen years various members of the Branch of 

 Forest Insect Investigations, Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Department 

 of Agriculture, have made a number of observations on the life-his- 

 tories and food plants of numerous species of western flathead borers or 

 Buprestidse. Some of these species are injurious to native and intro- 

 duced fruit and shade trees and some other species may soon become 

 so. One wood-infesting species has become a household pest and is 

 doing some damage to interior wood work in the mountain towns. 



Most of the species discussed inhabit deciduous trees but a few 

 that may become pests of coniferous shade trees are included. In all 

 cases the host plants listed are those from which the larva or adult has 

 been taken from the wood or bark and not just resting on the foliage 

 or bark. The fact' that adults are found on the foliage or bark of a 

 plant time after time is a good observation and worthy of record. It 

 is also a good indication that the borer lives in the plant. There are 

 cases, however, where it is not true and, in the writer's opinion, no 

 plant should be listed as a host plant of a boring insect unless the 

 insect is found living in the plant. 



Some of the observations made on the feeding and egg-laying habits 

 of the adults have suggested new methods of control and also, when 

 considered with the life-history studies, new taxonomic relations. 



In all, forty-four species are listed. Forty-three of these are western 

 and from the following states: South Dakota, Montana, Colorado, 

 New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Washington, Oregon and California. 

 One southern species is included to complete the host plants of the 

 genus Trachykele. There are no records from Wyoming and Nevada 

 but many of the species listed undoubtedly occur in those states. 



The names as given follow Henshaw's "List of the Coleoptera of 

 America, North of Mexcio. " Many of the genera are in a deplorable 

 state but the names given are those commonly used. The doubtful 

 species have been verified by Mr. W. S. Fisher of the Branch of Forest 



^ Published by permission of the Secretary of Agriculture. 



