THE SAPERDA TRIDENTATA. Ill 



into the top of the tree, and there feed upon the epidermis of 

 the tender twigs, and the petioles of the leaves, often wholly 

 denuding the latter, and causing the leaves to fall. They 

 deposit their eggs, two or three in a place, upon the trunk 

 and branches, especially about the forks, making slight incis- 

 ions or punctures, for their reception, with their strong jaws. 

 As many as ninety eggs have been taken from a single beetle. 

 The CTi'ubs, hatched from these egcrs, undermine the bark to 

 the extent of six or eight inches, in sinuous channels, or 

 penetrate the solid wood an equal distance. It is supposed 

 that three years are required to mature the insect. Various 

 expedients have been tried to arrest their course, but without 

 effect. A stream, thrown into the tops of the trees from the 

 hydrant, is often used with good success to dislodge other 

 insects ; but the borer-beetles, when thus disturbed, take 

 wing and hover over the trees till all is quiet, and then alight 

 and go to Avork again. The trunks and branches of some of 

 the trees have been washed over with various preparations 

 without benefit. Boring the trunk near the ground, and 

 putting in sulphur and other drugs, and plugging, have been 

 tried with as httle effect. " 



This beetle I have taken in Massachusetts only in June, 

 mostly between the 1st and 17th, and none after the 20th 

 day of the month. The grub closely resembles that of the 

 apple-tree borer. Figures of the insect, in all its stages, 

 may be seen in the tenth volume of Hovey's ^Magazine, 

 page 330. 



There is another destructive Saperda, whose history re- 

 mains to be written. It is the Saperda tridentata (Plate II. 

 Fig. 13), so named by Olivier on account of the tridentate 

 or three-toothed red border of its wing-covers. This beetle 

 is of a dark brown color, with a tint of gray, owing to a 

 thin coating of very short down. It is ornamented with a 

 curved line behind the eyes, two stripes on the thorax, and 

 a three-toothed or three-branched stripe on the outer edge 

 of each wing-cover, of a rusty red color. There are also 



