NOTES ON ZEUZERA PYRINA Fab. 



BY C. P. MACHESNEY. 



I notice in Entomologica Americana Vol. IV, p. 162, and 

 Vol. V, p. 7, articles by Mr. E. L. Graef and Mr. A. R. Grote, re- 

 spectively, on Zeuzera pyrina (Fabr.), referring to specimens taken 

 during 1887 and 1888 by my friend and co-laborer, Mr. J. B. An- 

 gelman, of Newark, N. J., which articles still leave the question in 

 doubt as to whether or not the appearance of this insect in this lo- 

 cality results from an accidental importation in the earlier stages, or 

 has it become indiginous to the country. In Ent. Am. Vol. V, p. 

 28, Mr. Angelman gives his observations on the ' ' time of appear- 

 ance, " which he records as "from June 14th to September 27th, a 

 period of 106 days," which I consider an evidence that Z". pyrina 

 has established itself in this vicinity, and is increasing in number 

 with considerable rapidity. During the past summer I occasionally 

 took this- insect in Arlington, N. J., though I had been unable to 

 find it here last year at the time it appeared numerously in Newark, 

 from which it may be inferred that it is gradually spreading, but to 

 what extent can only be determined by observations in other parts 

 of the State. The proof, however, that it has "come to stay," is 

 presented herewith in a description of the larva, kindly provided me 

 for the purpose, by Mr. Angelman, who, so far as I can learn, is the 

 first to discover this borer in this locality, and presumably, in this 

 country. The larvae were found in November and December, 1888, 

 in the topmost small branches of some very large old elms in Newark, 

 which had been felled by order of the authorities. From the posi- 

 tion in which the larvae were found it would appear that the ^^^ is 

 deposited at the juncture of two small branches, as the excavation 

 began at that point and extended downward through the centre of 

 the branch, increasing in diameter as the larva attained its growth, 

 thus leaving the wood around the cavity very thin at time of trans- 

 formation and resulting in the death of the branch from where the 

 imago had emerged to its extren^ity. At the time this description 

 was made larvae were not quite iuatured. 



Larva i^ inches in length, yellowish white in color. On the 

 2d to nth segments each, are a number of minute black dots, vary- 

 ing in number from 10 to 14, slightly elevated and furnished with a 

 very fine short hair (only perceptible in the smaller spots at this 

 stage with the aid of a magnifying glass). These dots are placed 

 on each segment, 4 dorsally, of which the anterior pair are closest 

 together, and the remainder are lateral and sublateral. Head one- 



