insect has reached the ornamental willows in the cities and culti- 

 vated willows and poplars in near-by nurseries ; so that it is now 

 well established in many localities. The industry of growing 

 poplars and willows is seriously threatened, as well as the useful- 

 ness nnd beauty of trees already mature. 



While willows and poplars are not among the 

 Willows most prized of our trees, they serve useful purposes 

 and and are well worthy of preservation. The willows 



poplars add much to the beauty of our lakes and streams, 

 of value. they make the best soil binders for such situa- 

 tions, and the ornamental species are almost in- 

 dispensable in cemeteries and parks. They have, as well, no in- 

 considerable commercial value in some sections, where their 

 growth for basket making is an important industry. 



The poplars, on account of their hardiness and rapid growth, 

 are invaluable as shade trees in newly planted suburbs ; and some 

 kinds, like the Lombardy poplar and "quaking aspen' 1 fill places 

 in landscape gardening for which there are no satisfactory sub- 

 stitutes. 



The poplar and willow borer attacks practically 



Study all the species of poplars, willows and alders; 



of insect and has also been found in red birch and dwarf 



begun. birch. The importance of these trees and the 



rapid spread of the insect made a study of it 



necessary, in order, if possible, to develop methods for its control. 



From this study the life history of the beetle has 



Life been worked out and is substantially as follows: 



stages. While engaged in its most destructive work the 



pest is in its immature, or larval, stage; and is 



a soft, plump, fleshy, footless grub about a quarter of an inch in 



loimih when full grown. It is pale yellow in color, with head 



light brown and mouth parts dark brown tipped with black. 



This grub hatches late in August or in September from a small, 



yellowish-white egg that has been deposited about 15 or 20 days 



before, in some corky portion of the wood near a bud or branch, 



in the over-growths caused by pruning, or in any cut or break 



in the bark. 



The tiny grub bores into the stems or branches and feeds upon 

 the tender, succulent tissue just beneath the bark, the cambium 



