ATTACKING THE BRANCHES. 



33 



devour them. Should they at any time become very numer- 

 ous, they may easily be disposed of by gathering the fallen 

 branches and burning them before the insect has time to 

 mature. 



No. 12. The Parallel Elaphidion. 



Elaphidion parallelum Newm. 



This insect in the larval state occasionally bores into the 

 twigs of apple and plum trees. The beetle (Fig. 20, c) is 

 a little more than half an inch long, of a dull-brownish 

 color, closely resembling No. 11 in appearance and habits, 

 but smaller in size. 



The egg is laid by the parent insect near the axil of one 

 of the leaf-buds, where the young larva, when hatched, bores 

 into the twig, enlarging the channel as it increases in size, 

 finally transforming to a pupa within its burrow, and escap- 

 ing at maturity in the perfect state. In the figure, a shows 

 the larva, 6 the twig split open, showing the enclosed pupa, 

 k the end of the twig cut 

 oif, c the beetle^ i the basal 

 joints of the antenna, j the 

 tip of the wing-case, d the 

 head, e maxilla, / labium, 

 g mandible, and h the an- 

 tenna of the larva. This 

 Elaphidion is rather a rare 

 insect, and, although it may 

 occasionally be found injurious, it is not likely to become so 

 to any considerable extent. 



No. 13. The Apple-twig Borer. 



Amphicerus bicaudatus (Say). 



The apple-twig borer is a small cylindrical beetle (Fig. 21), 

 from one-fourth to one-third of an inch in length, of a dark 

 chestnut-brown color above, black beneath. The fore part 

 of its thorax is roughened with minute elevated points, and, 



FIG. 20. 



