U.S. D. A.,n.E.Riil..-^,Piirt II. F. 1. 1., August 1«, 1<J06. 



SOMK 1\SK(TS IN.Il KlOlS TO FOIIFXFS. 



THE WESTERN PINE-DESTROYING BARKBEETLE. 



i^Dt lulroctiiniis hn ricoinis Ltic.)" 



]^y .1. L. Webb, 

 Special Fuhl Aijiut, Funsf fiisict I uvestigations. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The ()l)j(>ct ol" tliis |)iipor i.s to j;ivo availahk' information on this 

 in.scct and methods of (•oml)atin,i2: it, witli s] ccial reference to the 

 rosuhs of in\'est iirations hy the writer (hiring the .summer of MIO") in 

 central hhilio. 



The need of I lie investigations was suggested in a letter dated 

 August 10, li)()4, from ^fr. GifTord Pinchot, forester of the l'. S. 

 J)ei)artment of Agriculture, to Dr. L. (). Howard, chief of the Bureau 

 of Entomology, as follows: 



I Iciirn from (li»> I'liyottc Luml>or and >riimifii(lurinf: Company, one of tlic Wcyorhacnisors. 

 wlio.sc land lies on tlu« I'uycttc Rivt-r norlli of Boise, that the pine in their liohhngs is said to 

 be dyinjj from the attacks of inseets. If it were pos.sil)le for you to assign Doctor Hopkins, 

 or one of liis assistant.s, to make examination of this region, unless it has already been done, 

 I should greatly api>reciate it, and I .should likewise appreciate your .sending to Mr. Edgar M. 

 II(Miver, general manager of that company at Boise, any information you nuiy have hearing 

 on this suliject. 



In res|)()nse to tins re(|U(>st the matt(M' was referred hy Hoctor 

 Howard to Dr. A. D. Hopkins, in charge of forest insect investigations, 

 for attention, and Mr. II. K. Um'ke, an assistant, was instructed to 

 make preliminary investigations in ( )ctol)<>r of the same year. In May. 

 190."), the writer was assigned to this work, with instructions from Doc- 

 tor IIoj)kins to make a detailed study of the for<>st inse<-ts of therc'gion. 

 with s|)ecial reference to determining the foll.iwing points: (1) The 

 relation of th(> several sjiecies of insects to the dying of th(> trees; ri^ 

 the nund>er of specie's involvcMl. the relation of (>ach to primary and 

 secondary attack, and the life histories of the primary and secondary 

 enemies: C^) the extent of the infested area, the percentage of tind)er 

 killed eacdt yc^ir dm'ing the past two or three years within given areas, 

 the .ipproximate losses, etc.: (l) the relation of logging o|)erati<»ns to 



" Ordcr-'Colroplera, family .S-olyl idle. 



17 



