INSECTS AFFECTINC I'ARK AM) WOOOLAXU TREES 



39/" 



White pine weevil 

 /VsS(h/is s/ /■(>/>/' Pick 

 An oblong oval weevil, about J^. im h lonj,', frci|UL-mly (lc|)osits c^'^s in tlie Ifailini; 

 shoots of ])inc or otluT (.•vcrgrecn trees. The grubs work in the shoots and kill them, 

 causing an irregularly deformed tree of very little c i)nimer( ial \alue. 



This is one of the commonest enemies of pine trees in Xew \'()rk 

 State, and its work ma\- he ol>serveil in practicalh' ever\' locality where 

 the}' occur. 



Early history. It was l)roll^hl to the attention of the puMic ear!\- in 

 the last ccnttu")-, ]>y Pro!. W. 1). I'cck of Harvartl l'ni\ersit\- wlio made a 

 stud\- of the insect and described it, and also ascertained a ninnlxr of facts 

 res^ardini^' its lile history. It was studied later In' l)r Harris who sticceeded 

 in addino' to otu- knowlcdoc of its habits, and who states that the beetles 

 arc foimd in threat nimiljers in .April and Ma\', on ftMices, buildings ami 

 pine trees, ami that they probably .secrete tliemselves, during- the ninter, 

 in the crevices of the bark, or about the roots of the trees, depositing;' their 

 eggs in the spring. Dr Pitch studied the insect in Xew ^'ork, about 18^7, 

 presenting an accotnit of it in his fourth re])orl. lie states that this species 

 selects thrifty growing \igorous pines whose; topmost shoot has made the 

 greatest advance the preceding year, lb: observed that the insects wtM'e 

 so numerous that in oiu; grox'c- not onl\' the to|)niost shoots of e\ery tree, 

 but man\' of thi; lateral ones were attacked anil destroyed. The depreda- 

 tions of this insect were also brought to the attention of the late I )r Pintner 

 on .several occasions, ami Mr \V. C. Pierce of Richford, as recordetl 1>\ 1 )r 

 Lintner in his ninth report, states that 150 Xorway spruces which hail been 

 planted in a cemetery the |)receding year, began to die at the to|). l{\ami- 

 nation showed that small borers were working between the bark and ihi; 

 ■wood, in the topmost shoot and destroying the life of the trees. Dr .\. I). 

 Hopkins states that this insect infests the bark of logs and Iriuiks of living 

 and dying pines and spruce. 



Description. The- adidt beetle is about '^^ inch long, reddish l)rown to 

 .a very dark brown, and with a somewhat pectdiar whitish spot near the 



