101 



and sweet potatoes. From Java : Calandra oryzae in rice ; Pseudo- 

 coccus sp. on pomelo. From Nicaragua : Sper)noj)hagus pectoralis in 

 beans. From Tahiti : Borer larvae in dry citrus wood. From Arizona : 

 Heliothis (Chloridea) obsoleta on maize. From Central America : 

 Aspidiotus cyanophylli on bananas. From Colombia : Diaspis 

 boisduvali, Ckrysomphalus perseae and Isosoma orchidearum on orchids. 

 From Louisiana : Lepidopterous larvae on vines ; Lepidosaphes ulnii 

 on apples ; and Aspidiotus cyanophylli on bananas. From Mexico : 

 Coleopterous larvae in coquita nuts. From New York : Diaspis 

 boisduvali and Eucalymnatus tessellatus on orchids ; Psevdococcus sp. 

 on crotons and other ornamental plants. From Washington : Vent una 

 inequalis on apples. From Florida : Hemichionaspis aspidistrae on 

 ornamental plants. From Oregon : Codling moth [Cydia pomonella} 

 in pears. 



HoRTON (J. R.). Three-lined Fig-tree Borer. — Jl. Agric. Research, 

 Washington, B.C., xi, no. 8, 19th November 1917, pp. 371-382, 

 3 plates. 



The three-lined fig-tree borer, Ptychodes trilineatus, L., is a large 

 Cerambycid beetle that does considerable damage to fig-trees (Ficus 

 carica) by boring into the larger branches and trunks. It occurs 

 throughout the southern United States and has been reported from 

 parts of Mexico, all the States of Central America, the West Indies, 

 Venezuela and Colombia, and Tahiti. 



The greatest amount of damage is done by the larvae, which bore in 

 both dry and green wood, preferring that which is partly dead and has 

 lost some of its sap ; hence they principally attack trees or branches 

 that are diseased or injured. 



The eggs are inserted into the bark near wounded or decaying spots, 

 and rarely, if ever, in perfectly sound healthy bark ; they usually occur 

 singly, though as many as five may be found together. 



Those individuals that complete their larval stage in one season 

 have an average larval life of three months, while overwintering ones 

 five in the wood for about 11 months. As they are feeding during most 

 of this time, the possible amount of damage that they may do is great. 



The larvae, which, though soft-bodied, are extremely resistant to 

 mechanical injury, tunnel to a point near the surface when ready for 

 pupation, and emerge after a pupal period of 24 days by cutting a 

 circular exit-hole through the bark. The adults, which feed on the 

 tender bark of the smaller fig stems and also during the fruiting season 

 upon ripe and nearly ripe figs, have an average life of 3 or 4 months. 



Emergence of the adults takes place from March to early December, 

 the maximum being reached in September. There is no true hiberna- 

 tion period, but only one of comparative inactivity from December to 

 February inclusive. 



The chief remedy is the prevention of infestation by keeping the 

 trees in the healthiest condition possible, avoiding injury by breaking 

 limbs, or bruising the bark in cultivating and picking the fruit, and 

 treating wounds with a protective paint composed of five parts of 

 coal tar and one part of creosote. The borers may in some cases be 

 kiUed by injecting carbon bisulphide into the tunnels and plugging the 

 openings with putty, but this method is impracticable where the 

 infestation is severe and well advanced. 



