ATTACKING THE BRANCHES. 



33 



devour them. Should they at any time become very numer- 

 ous, they may easily be disposed of by gathering the fallen 

 branches and burning them before the insect has time to 

 mature. 



No. 12. — The Parallel Elaphidion. 

 Elapliidion parallelam Newni. 



This insect in the larval ^tate occasionally bores into the 

 twigs of apple and plum trees. The beetle (Fig. 20, c) is 

 a little more than half an inch long, of a dull-brownish 

 color, closely resembling No. 11 in appearance and habits, 

 but smaller in size. 



The egg is laid by the parent insect near the axil of one 

 of the leaf-buds, where the young larva, when hatched, l)ores 

 into the twig, enlarging the channel as it increases in size, 

 finally transforming to a chrysalis within its burrow, and es- 

 caping at maturity in the perfect state. In the figure, a shows 

 the larva, b the twig split open, showing the enclosed chrysalis, 

 k the end of the twig cut 

 off, c the beetle, * the basal l^'i«- 20. 



joints of the antenna, j the 

 tip of the wing-case, d the 

 head, e maxilla, / labium, 

 g mandible, and h the an- 

 tenna of the larva. This 

 Elaphidion is rather a rare 

 insect, and, although it may 

 occasionally be found injurious, it is not likely to become so 

 to any considerable extent. 



No. 13. — The Apple-twig Borer. 



Amphicerns bicaudattis (Say). 



The apple-twig borer is a small cylindrical beetle (Fig. 21), 

 from one-fourth to one-third of an inch in length, of a dark 

 chestnut-brown color above, black beneath. The fore part 

 of its thorax is roughened with minute elevated points, and, 



3 



