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 Calaxdrid^. 



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 

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

 identification. The mines are irregular, sinuous, 1.5 to 2™°i in diameter, 

 and were quite numerous. 



18. Xestobium affine Le Conte. 

 Order Coleoptera ; family Ptinid^. 



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

 with the larvae, which closely resembles those of Ernobius. It makes 

 a sinuous mine 4""'" in diameter, opening externally by around hole S"""* 

 in diameter; the burrows being filled with fine excrement. 



Larva. — Body cyliadrical, 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 hody. End of abdo- 

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

 3.1 to 4'"'". Fig. 441 of Ernobius mollis in my Guide to the Study of Insects well repre- 

 sents tne general appearance of this larva. 



BORING IN THE TWIGS. 



19. The aster stalk-borer. 



Gorlyna 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 a.ster stalk-borer and moth.— After Riley. 



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

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

 branches of Ambrosia artemisicefolia. 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 



