MAPLE BORERS. 391 



16. Xyloterus politus Say. 



According to Prof, J. A. Lintner this bark-borer lives at the expense 

 of the maple. 



17. Stenoscelis brevis Boheman. 



Order Coleoptera ; family Calandrid.e. 



This beetle occurred in a partly rotten stump of the red maple in a 

 swamp at Providence, June 1, in company with Dicerca divaricata and 

 Xestohium affine. All these beetles were submitted to Dr. Leconte for 

 identification. The mines are irregular, sinuous, 1.5 to 2'"'^ in diameter, 

 and were quite numerous. 



18. Xestobiuni affine Le Conte. 

 Order Coleoptera ; family Ptinid^, 



Several specimens of this beetle occurred June 1 in a rotten stump, 

 with the larvte, which closely resembles those of Brnobius. It makes 

 a sinuous mine 4'"'" in diameter, opening externally by around hole 3^^ 

 in diameter J the burrows being filled with fine excrement. 



Larva. — Body cylindrical, white, soft, very full and rounded at the end, a little 

 the thickest at the thoracic portion ; three pairs of thoracic, three-jointed, rather 

 slender feet. Head rather large, more than half as thick as the body. End of abdo- 

 men covered with rather dense yellowish hairs. Length, 10™™; thickness of body, 

 3.1 to 4™™. Fig. 441 of Ernohius mollis in my Guide to the Study of Insects well repre- 

 sents tne general appearance of this larva. 



BORINa IN THE TWIGS. 



19. The aster stalk-borer. 



Gortyna nitela Guen. 



This common borer of the stalks of the dahlia and aster has been 

 observed by Professor Osborn boring in young twigs of the ash, 

 many dead twigs being the proofs of their work. Miss Murtfeldt 



Fig. 146. — The aster stalk-borer and moth. — After Riley. 



has also observed it in twigs of the maple {Acer dasyearpum)^ and 

 Professor Eiley states that it occurs in peach twigs as well as the 

 branches of Ambrosia arteinisicefoUa. He also states that the young 

 worm in Illinois hatches about the 1st of July, and immediately begins 

 its work of destruction. The plant in which it feeds does not usually 



