INSECTS AFFECTIXC; TAKK AND WOODI.AN D TREES 4O3 



Dr LeContc in 1S7S, from s])icimciis taken at an altitude of 9,000 to 

 10,000 feet in the Leavt'nworth valley above (ieort^etown Col. I hese two 

 wi<!el\- seiKirated localities would seem to indicate a (general distrihuiion 

 over the United States, and that it probabl\- rantj^es into southern Canada, 

 at least. 



Pine tip moth 

 Piiupcs/is ziniiiicriiuiiii (jrote 



Short, brown, needli-s on lips of hard pine, spi-i ially if there be a small jjiKh mass 

 near tin- liase of the injured portion, is an indication of the work of this insert. 



This in-rnicious borer, kindly determined b\- Prof. C. II. l''ernald from 

 bred specimens, was met with on hard [tines at Karner din-ini^- J inie and 

 July of both iQOi and i()02. It invariabl\- attacks the more slender u;row- 

 ino- tijis, frequently the leader or the central shoot of a branch, and causes 

 them to shrivtd, curl slio'hlK' and later tiu-n brown. The work of this borer 

 is frecjuently indicated by a small, i^ranular mass of brownish pilch ptished 

 out bv the borer near the base of the injiu-ed [)ortlon. The needles on the 

 affected parts are much smaller than normal. The insect is occasionally so 

 abundant as to kill a considerable proportion of the terminal shoots and 

 thus seriously injure \\\v. develojiment of the: tree, practically ruinino; it lor 

 other than firewood iiurijoses. 



Description. The moth is a ])retty, slate t^n'ay antl white insect with a 

 win_>,r spread of about % inch | pi. 20, tier. ig|. The larxa meastires a little 

 over V± inch in length, with the head and thoracic shield black and the 

 bodv varvino; from redtlish l)rown to somewhat li\id i^-reen. Its ilark brown 

 tubercles each bear a slender hair and the skin is further ornamentetl In- 

 linear series of dark brown, blackish chitinous jjoints. The presence of 

 these latter are characteristic of this caterpillar, antl permit its ready 

 separation from the borer operating on the smaller limbs, (Lvetria 

 c o m s t oc k i a n a kern. ) 



Life history. 1 )r 1 ). S. Kellicott recorils taking the larvae of this insect 

 at Hastings, and states that they were a dtdl white and not livid, though 

 otherwise as described bv Grote. He adds that the larvae were found in 



