THE CARE OF SHADE TREES. 



97 



Fi 



75 5. Flat Headed 

 Borer — a, larva or grub : 

 b, adult beetle. 



mixture which 

 will prevent the 

 deposition of the 

 egg^s. A carbolic 

 soap mixture, 

 made by adding- 

 a pint of crude 

 carbolic acid to 

 a quart oi soft 

 soap dissolved in two gallons of boiling- 

 water, applied with an old scrubbing- brush, 

 has been found very effective. A white- 

 wash applied on the trunk 

 and well up into the branches 

 is also to be recommended. 

 The Flat-Headed Borer 

 {Chrysohothris feniorata) is 

 almost as destructive as 

 the Round- Headed Borer, 

 and has a very similar life-history. In ap- 

 pearance however, it is quite different. The 

 beetle is about half an inch long, flattened, 

 and of a dark g^reen, bronzy color. (Fig-. 

 ^755-) The grub or larva is light yellow in 

 color, about an inch in length, and with a 

 very conspicuous head, which is flat, and 

 \ ery broad compared with the body. 



Usually it does not take so long for this 

 insect to pass through the various stages of 

 its life-history as is the case with the Round- 

 Headed Borer. The period varies from one 

 to three years, generally one year. As in 

 the case of the Round-Headed, the beetle 

 deposits her eggs about the end of June. 

 The young grubs bore into the sap-wood 

 where they tunnel out flat channels, some- 

 times girdling the tree. These tunnels are 

 not so regular, and do not penetrate so far 

 into the hardwood as do the tunnels of the 

 Round-Headed Borer. 



As a rule the eggs are deposited on the 

 trunk a few feet from the ground. 



The same remedies may be used ag^ainst 

 these pests as have been found effective with 

 the Round-Headed Borer. Prof. Comstock 

 advises the placing^ of one or two cakes oi 



soap in the forks of the trees, so that the 

 rains will dissc^lve the soap and wash it down- 

 over the trunks. 



It may be said here that these two borers 

 are not only destructive to shade trees, but 

 also to apple, quince, and pear trees. 



There are other borers which also do much 

 harm. The Locust Borer [Cylleiie rohiniae) 

 is destructi\e to locusts in some localities. 

 The beetles of these may be collected quite 

 readily on Golden Rod in the fall. They are 

 black with manv \ ellow bands crossing- the 



Fig. 1756. American Tent Caterpillar — 

 a and b, caterpillars on nest ; c\ egg cluster; 

 d, cocoon ; t\ male moth ; /, female moth. 



wing-co\ers. Many locust trees can be 

 found whose trunks are perforated by holes 

 made by the grubs of these beetles. The 

 holes extend throug-h the bark into the hard- 

 wood, injuring the trees so badly that death 



