452 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Peach bark beetle 



Plilocotribiis liijiiiiarix Harr. 

 A mimitc, brownish, rather stout hct-tle aliout '/„. iiu h long, runs transverse galleries 

 in the iniu-r hark of |iea< h, |iliini and < herry. 



This little species is hrtte-r known as a pest of fruit trees than a depre- 

 dator on ornamental or forest trees, thou<;h it occasionally attacks wild 

 ch(;rry, probably plum and related trees. Its method of work is ver\- char- 

 acteristic. The o^alleries of the adult beetles nni transversely or nearly so 

 to the i^rain of the wood, two diveroint,'- from a common entrance cham- 

 l)er. blach is the work of a single female which deposits 

 a i^rreat man\' ei^^os at close intervals on each side. These 

 liatch anil the vouny ^rubs [jroceed to make channels at 

 a|)proximatcl\ riL^ht anolcs to those of the parent insect. 

 The larval oalleries are easilv recoonized because of their 



iMa. 107 Middle til. i.,t : -^ - - 



„-i'hi..eotrii,us ^^,,. ^^i^j^lj,-, ■ somewhat sinuous character. Infested areas are 



1 i III i II .1 r i s ; b-^ ' 



s.-oiyiu- rugu- ],^^^i]y riddli-d b\- this specit-s, and in man\- instances the tree 



1 o s u s. enlarged 



(-ngiiKiii soon L;irdletl. The' work of this borer is more frecpiently met 



Avith inearly sprino', th(uiL;h occasionally beetles are taken in the fall. I he 

 easiest way to identify the adults is by their work. (Iccasionalh this is 

 impossible and then recourse must i>e liad to structural characters, the 

 peculiar antennae | pi. 66, tio'. 1 ] ])eino- the most striking-. This little beetle 

 is rather sparsely clothed with a short, yellowish pubescence, and the elytra 

 are coarsely striate with series of almost continent ])unctures. 



Remedial measures. There is no ])ractical method of checking this 

 pest, beyond cuttiuL;- ami burnino- infestetl trees Ix'fore the insects have had 

 an oj^portunity to escape and enter others. Ordinarily its attacks are 

 confined to vmhealthv trees. 



