Decem})er, '19] MOZNETTE: BRONZE APPLE-TREE WEEVIL 427 



attacks of some disease; any general deteriorated condition of the trees 

 promotes the attacks of the weevils. The species was taken from apple, 

 Cratsegus and Itahan prune trees. During the early part of 1916 while 

 at McMinnville, Oregon, this species was observed in numbers in Italian 

 prune wood. This wood had been sawed from orchard trees killed ap- 

 parently through the attacks of the peach and prune root borer, Aegeria 

 opalescens Edw., a destructive insect to peaches and Italian prunes in that 

 section of Oregon. As the trees were grubbed out during the winter, they 

 were apparently infested while in the orchard, the weevils developing in 

 the wood after it was sawed. 



The species was found in many apple trees in the vicinity of Corvallis, 

 Oregon, but only in dead or nearly dead areas of such trees. It has not 

 been found by the writer to be associated with any canker but later found 

 that the attacks of the weevils were only secondary'. 



Notes on Seasonal History and Habits 



On April 15, 1916, the writer obtained several large apple Umbs from 

 a tree located near Corvallis, Oregon, growing in the center of a stream. 

 The tree was greatly devitalized and only the more seemingly healthy 

 areas bordered with the dead wood showed the presence of the insect. 

 In these particular Hmbs a few of the areas could be found containing egg 

 punctures of the previous season. Upon examination the portion under- 

 neath the bark and next to the wood was found furrowed with channels 

 running in every direction (Plate 18, figs. 4, 5) and revealed the presence 

 of many pupae and larvae of this species. Some were just transforming 

 to adults and changing color. The beetles (Plate 18, fig. 1) on emerging 

 are at first a veiy light brown changing on exposure to a blackish bronze 

 color. The description of the adult by Dr. LeConte is as follows: 



Elongate, black bronzed, slightly pubescent, head, beak and prothorax densely 

 finely punctured, the last longer than wide, rounded on the sides, which are serrate in 

 front; hind angles small, prominent, base bisinuatc, disc subcarinate in front of the 

 middle. Elytra obliquely impressed behind the base, and also behind the middle; 

 striaj composed of not very large punctures, interspaces finely rugose. Mcsosternum 

 not protuberant; thighs acutely toothed, claws distinctly toothed near the base. 

 Length, 3.7-.5.r) mm.; .1.5-. 22 inch. 



On April 15, 1916, very few larva? were to be found and no doubt most 

 of the larva? had transformed from the first of April until about the tenth. 

 Seasonally tliis will vary considerably with the weather conditions. 



The larva (Plate 18, fig. 3) before pupation excavates an oval cell be- 

 tween the bark and wood at the end of the burrow. It is legless, white 

 in color and the body is considera])ly wrinkled. The body is larger in 

 the prothoracic region and in this way dilTcrs somewhat from the ordi- 

 nary Curculionid type of larva. The mouth parts are brown and small. 



