456 THE COMMON BORER. 



The head of the caterpillar of this moth is black ; 

 the prevailing color of the body, lemon, with a slight 

 pink tinge. The back is brownish ; and the first 

 segment of the body has two black dots, and the 

 skin has no hairs. It is about three inches in 

 length, and very stout. The effects of its attack 

 are to be seen in the decay of the ends of the 

 branches, which gradually extends until the whole 

 tree dies. The insect collects the chips which he 

 has gnawed from the tree, and with these he pro- 

 tects himself Inside of these he constructs his 

 cocoon under the bark. The best time to hunt for 

 and destroy him is when he is just emerging from 

 the chrysalis state, and is coming forth from his 

 burrow [Harris). 



(2) The common Apple-tree Borer — Sapercla hivittata: 

 Say. " The winged beetle, which is from one-half 

 to three-quarters of an inch long, covered with a 

 white pubescence, and having three broad stripes 

 above, makes its appearance early in June, and flies 

 only in the night. In the course of this and the 

 following months the female deposits her eggs, one 

 in a place, low down upon the bark, at or very near 

 the surface of the earth. But when these beetles 

 are numerous, some of their eggs are placed higher 

 up, particularly in the axil of the lower limbs, or 

 where they proceed from the trunks. From each of 

 these eggs is hatched a minute maggot. It is white, 

 with a yellowish tinge upon its head. It eats its 



