426 " JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 12 



.NOTES ON THE BRONZE APPLE-TREE WEEVIL^ 



By G. F. MozNETTE,^ Entomological Inspector, Bureau of Entomology, United States 

 Department of Agriculture 



Introduction 



The bronze apple-tree weevil, Magdalis miescens Lee, is prevalent 

 throughout the Willamette Valley in Oregon. This is true particularly 

 in \'icimties where trees which this species attacks have been neglected or 

 for some cause are devitahzed and graduallj^ dying. This species has 

 not been observed attacking healthy trees, but where a tree is slowly 

 djdng from some cause, this species generally attacks it and hastens the 

 death. 



History and Distribution of the Species 



The species was first described by Dr. LeConte^ in 1876 from specimens 

 presented him by Mr, Ulke collected in Oregon. In 1898 Dr. James 

 Fletcher^ reported .having received specimens from apple boughs con- 

 taining the larvse of this insect from Victoria and Nanaimo, British 

 Columbia, and proposed the name bronze apple-tree weevil for it. In 

 1900 Dr. F. H. Cliittenden^ published an account of this insect from 

 investigations made of material received from the state of Washington 

 where the insect was thought associated with the "Black Spot " or canker, 

 a fungus disease caused bj^ Macrophoma curvispora Peck. This report 

 also contains biological notes by Prof. C. V. Piper then connected with 

 the Agricultural Experiment Station at Pullman, Washington, and he 

 states that the insect injury was apparently secondary to the fungus 

 disease mentioned above. In 1911 H. F. Wilson published notes on 

 this species stating further occurrence in the state of Oregon. 



Records of this species by Dr. Chittenden shows the distribution to 

 be Sunnydale, Puyallup, Tracyton, Vancouver, Sedro and Woolley in 

 Washington; Salem, Hood River, and CorvalUs in Oregon; Victoria, 

 Nanaimo and Gabriola Islands in British Columbia. In addition to the 

 above localities the writer wishes to add the following: Liberty, Eddy- 

 ville, Portland, Turner and McMinnville in Oregon. 



Host Plants 



In no case has the writer observed this species infesting healthy trees. 

 The trees are injured in some way, either due to winter killing or to the 



1 Published by permission of the Secretary of Agriculture. 



- Formerly Research Assistant in Entomology at the Oregon Experiment Station. 



3 Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc, Vol. XV, p. 192. 



* Kept, of Ent. and Bot., 1898, Canada. 



* Bui. 22, Bureau of Entomology, p. 36 (Misc. Results). 



