39 



They are from one-half to three-fourths of an inch long ; expanse, three- 

 fourths to one an done-fourth inch. The male is fchesmaller ; the body is 

 a bright, deep steel-blue, sometimes with a yellowish band on the ab- 

 domen ; wings yellowish white, semi-transparent, with a narrow bor- 

 dering of blue. 



The female has a body of the same color, with an orange-colored 

 band about the middle of the abdomen ; front wings blue ; opaque ; 

 posterior wings transparent, margined with blue. 



The eggs are smooth, oval, of a dull yellow color, and about one- 

 fortieth of an inch long. They are usually deposited upon the bark 

 at the surface of the ground, and the worms hatching from them 

 work downwards, at first in the bark of the root, forming a slender, 

 flexuous channel, which becomes filled with gum. At the distance 

 of an inch or two below the surface, the whole of the bark of the root 

 becomes consumed in badly infested trees, and the sap-wood is also 

 extensively gnawed, so that the root is nearly severed. 



The larger worms, in winter, usually repose with their heads up- 

 wards, in contact with the outer surface of the root, generally in 

 smooth, longitudinal furrows they have excavated, their backs covered 

 with their castings, mingled with gum and cobwebs, forming a kind 

 of cell. 



The larva enters the pupa state in the early part of summer, and 

 comes forth in the perfect state usually in July, though there is rea- 

 son to believe it often comes out in the south part of the State as 

 early as May or June. 



Various remedies have been proposed, such as raising a mound of 

 earth around the trunk ; pouring boiling water around the roots ; 

 placing around it a bed of cinders, ashes or lime; surrounding it with 

 a collar of mortar; enveloping the base of the trunk in matting or 

 paper, etc., and planting tanzy around the tree. 



Dr. Harris favors the mortar and matting remedy; Dr. Fitch thinks 

 tanzy will be beneficial ; and Prof. Riley recommends strongly the 

 mounding process. 



There are several other Aeqerite which have similar habits and are 

 injurious to cultivated or useful plants. 



Aegeria tipuliformis Linn — Currant Borer. 



The moth is a little less than one half an inch long and expands 

 three-fourths of an inch. The color is deep blue, with three yellow 

 bands across the abdomen, a yellow collar, and yellow mixed with 

 blue marking the legs. These yellow bands, so like the* same in many 

 of our wasps, renders this species all the more liable to be mistaken, 

 especially as they mingle with the wasps, making a gay company in 

 the bright sunshine. Yet the tufted extremity, in lieu of a pointed 

 one tipped with a dreaded spear will quickly undeceive us. 



These moths appear in June or July. They deposit their eggs 

 near a bud; these eggs soon hatch, and the tiny caterpillar at once 

 bores to the center of the stem, where they may lie found from June 

 to July the following year. 



