INSECTS AFFECTING PARK AND WOOUI.ANU TREES 483 



BOKKKM IN UKIEI> L'SUALLY M AM'FA<-T»ltKI> \V<><>I> 



White marked powder-post beetle 



Lyctus parixllclopipcdus Melsh. 

 Pin holes less than 1/16 inch in diameter and galleries of the same size running in 

 various directions in wood, may contain linear, black, white marked beetles about V16 i"'li 

 long. 



This powder-post beetle has very siinihir habits to those of the more 

 common species, Lyctus u n i p u n c t a t u s Herbst., thout^h it appears 

 to be much rarer. Its destructive work was brou_tjht to our attention in 

 July 1903, on the reception of a piece of ash from a large furniture man- 

 ufacturer of New York city, accompanied by the statement that the insects 

 were causing considerable damage to rough stock on hand and had also 

 bred out in numbers from manufactured products, to their great detriinent. 

 The piece of ash was badly tunneled by the galleries of this insect and 

 practically worthless for furniture purposes. 



Description. The beetle is a jet black or dark brown, linear insect 

 about 3 ',6 inch long and easily distinguished from the common powder-post 

 beetle, Lyctus unipunctatus Herbst., by the broad, creamy white 

 band near the middle of the wing covers and extending almost to the 

 suture. The head and prothorax are rather coarsely and irregularlv 

 punctured, while the wing covers ai^e ornamented with rows of closely set. 

 coarse punctures. The young or larvae are sinall, six legged, yellowish 

 white grubs with the tip of the body curved. 



The work of this species, like that of the common powder-post beetle, is 

 characterized by fine sawdust dropping from the infested lumber. 



Life history. This species evidently breeds freely in ash. It has iieen 

 recorded in fig and probably infests other dry hard woods. The beneficial 

 clerid, Elasmocerus terminatus Say, was bred from the ash boartl 

 infested with this species and is undoubtedly of considerable service in 

 preying upon this wood borer. 



Remedies. Measures of value against the powder-post beetle should 

 be of equal service in checking this species. 



