264 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Painted hickory borer 



L'yllcnc pictiis Drury 



A blackish, golden marked beetle, about ;'4 incli in length, is frequently bred from 

 hickory logs. 



This species is somewhat common in New York State, and occurs 

 ratlier frequently in hickory, it being brought to notice occasionally on 

 account of the beetles emerging in midwinter or early spring from firewood 

 and appearing in houses. This species in the adult condition resembles 

 very closely the insect so common on black locust, and the two beetles may 

 be easily separated by the fact that the hickory borer is rarely abroad, 

 except in the spring, while the locust borers commonly occur in large num- 

 bers in the fall. The two forms were confused in earlier days and for a 

 time it was believed that they both belonged to the same species. The 

 demonstration that these two beetles were really distinct species was largely 

 the work of Dr Walsh and to him we owe a carefully tabulated list of 

 differences between the two forms. 



Early history. This borer Is recorded by Dr Walsh as being rather 

 rare in Illinois in 1866, and he adds that during 17 years' steady collecting 

 he had met with but three specimens. He states that it appeared to be 

 quite common near Philadelphia, where it was said to inhabit the walnut as 

 well as the hickory. 



This borer has been recorded by Dr Packard as occurring not only 

 in hickory but also in black walnut, and Dr Lintner in 1893, added 

 butternut to the list of food plants. Prof. Lawrence Bruner writing in 

 1893, stated that the hickories of Nebraska are very subject to attacks 

 by this species, and Dr A. D. Hopkins records this species in dead 

 branches and small mulberry and hickory trees in West Virginia. He 

 obtained adults Ap. 9 and 14, pupa and larva Ap. 9, and in 1894 he 

 found a fully matured pupa Sep. 24, evidence that this beetle may emerge 

 in the fall. Messrs Webster and Mally have recorded the presence of 

 this borer in Osage orange posts, i ^^ feet in length and 4 inches in 



