ATTACKING THE BRANCHES. 31 



full grown and undergo their transformations before the fol- 

 lowing midsummer. This is a rare insect in most parts of 

 America, and is not likely to prove a serious trouble anywhere. 



No. 11. — The Apple-tree Pruner. 



Elaphidion villosum (Fabr.). 



This is also a long-horned beetle, of cylindrical form, of a 

 dull-blackish color, with brownish wing-cases. The antennae 

 in tlie male are longer than the body, and in the female, which 

 is represented in Fig. 17, are equal to it. The entire body is 

 covered with short grayish hairs, which, from their denseness 

 in some places on the thorax and wing-covers, form pale 

 spots. The under side of the body is of a chestnut-brown 

 color. The insect affects chiefly the oak-tree, but also attacks 

 the apple, and, although not often found in great abundance, 

 is very generally distributed over most of 

 the Northern United States and Canada. ^i«- ^'^• 



The peculiar habits and instincts of this 

 insect are very interesting. The parent ' 

 beetle places an egg in the axil of a leaf 

 on a fresh green twig proceeding from a 

 moderate-sized limb. When the young 

 larva hatches, it burrows into the centre of 

 the twig and down towards its base, consuming in its course 

 the soft pulpy matter of which this part of the twig is com- 

 posed. By the time it reaches the main limb it has become 

 sufficiently matured to be able to feed upon the harder wood, 

 and makes its way into the branch, when the hollow twig it 

 has vacated gradually withers and drops off. The larva, 

 being now about half grown, eats its way a short distance 

 through the middle of the branch, and then proceeds de- 

 liberately to sever its connection with the tree by gnawing 

 away the woody fibre to such an extent that the first storm 

 of wind snaps the branch off. This is rather a delicate 

 operation for the insect to perform, and requires wonderful 

 instinctive skill, for should it gnaw away too much of the 



