PINE BORERS. 



697 



24. The commixed leptostylus. 



Leptostylus commixtus Haldeman. 

 Order Coleoptera ; family CerambyciDjE. 



A small long-horued beetle occurring on the leaves of 

 the pine in July, its appearance and shape closely like 

 that of the prickly Leptostylus, and its larva proba- 

 bly having similar habits and the same form ; the 

 beetle 0.25 to 0.36 long, its thorax closely punctured, 

 blackish obscurely varied with ash-gray and with 

 elevated black dots placed symmetrically, the sides 

 convex and with a small angular tooth back of their 

 middle ; its wing-covers coarsely and closely punct- 

 ured, dull and gray varied with paler gray and with 

 black clouds and dots, two faintly elevated ribs on 

 each wing-cover of a slightly paler gray tint alter- 

 nated with black dots, the inner rib having an elon- 

 gated black spot near its base, another beyond the 

 middle, and a third one farther back, formed by ob- 

 scure dusky transverse clouds which cross the ribs at 

 these places ; the sides black, alternated with a whit- 

 ish cloud-like spot near the base, and a smaller one 

 near the middle. (Fitch.) 



Fig. 23Z.—Leptosliili(s commix- 

 tics. — Smith del. 



25. The lesser pine-borer. 



Asemiim mcestum Haldeman. 



(Larva, PI. xix, Fig. 1.) 



Order Coleoptera ; family CERAMBYCiDiE. 



Perforating the trunk of the white pine in all directions and sinking into the heart 

 of the tree, making a flattened cylindrical hole or mine when seen in outline ; a rather 

 email larva, which emerges late in May through oval holes in the bark, especially 

 around the base of the trunk ; the beetle blackish brown with short antennae and 

 legs. 



The transformations of this common borer, which apparently attacks 

 the tree in health as well as in disease, like the si)ecies of Monohammusj 

 were first briefly described and figured in our "Guide to the Study of 

 Insects" from specimens found in all stages under the bark of the oak 

 early in May at Salem, Mass. I have also received a larva of this 

 species from Dr. Shimer, which was found by him boring in the grape- 

 vine. Since then Mr. Riley has bred it from the Scotch pine, and Mr. 

 Schwarz has found the pupa under the bark of pine stumps in Florida 

 in March. During the past May I have found, in company with Mr. 

 Calder, at Providence, the perfect beetles, and also the pupa in deep 

 burrows or mines in white-pine stumps. I have heretofore regarded 



