COLEOPTERA. 



49 



b 



iW) 



M 



between the bark and the sapwood, and form winding passages even 

 into the wood, the tunnels increasing in size as the larvae grow. Xow 

 and again they completely girdle 

 the stem, and then the upper part 

 dies right away. As a rule, the 

 bark over the passage splits and 

 leaves behind a ragged crack, 

 which is very characteristic of the 

 damage done by this beetle. It 

 appears to prefer weakly and un- 

 healthy saplings, but sound ones 

 may be attacked (figs. 48 and 

 49). 



"The beetle (fig. 50) is about 

 one -quarter of an inch long, and 

 belongs to the family Buprestidse, 

 long, slender beetles of usually 

 metallic colour. This species varies 

 from olive - green, bluish - green, to 

 blue - black ventrally ; the apex of 

 the elytra diverge, and are slightly 

 dentate. They appear in June and 

 July, and fly in bright sunshine. 

 The eggs are placed on the bark 

 of the saplings near the ground, 

 usually singly, and exposed to the 

 sun. The larvae appear in August ; they are white and legless, with 

 broad first segment, usually somewhat flattened. 

 They live in the trees for two or three winters, 

 and pupate in April and May in the bark or 

 sapwood, the cocoons being made of fragments 

 of wood. The beetles emerge through holes 

 which are oval below, straight above. They 

 so seldom occur in this country that no further 

 reference is necessary. Where it does do 

 damage saplings should be smeared with clay, 

 lime, and sulphur to stop the beetles egg- 

 laying, and all infested saplings should be pulled up and burnt 

 early in May." 



D 



l>W-* 



Figs. 48 and 49. Inju ry caused to beech sap- 

 lings by Agrilus viridis, L. {natural size). 



a, larval gallery, exposed by removal of 

 the bark ; b, old larval galleries, ex- 

 posed by rupture of the bark ; c, trans- 

 verse oval flight-holes of the imago. 

 (From 'Forest Protection,' by W. R. 

 Fisher.) 



I 



Fig. 50. Agrilus viridis. 

 (From ' Forest Protec- 

 tion,' by W. R. Fisher.) 



