THE TWO-STRIPED SAPERDA. 107 



of the same color on the wing-covers. It is from one inch 

 to an inch and a quarter in length. This beetle closely 

 resembles the European Saperda carcharias, which inhabits 

 the poplar ; and the grubs of our native species, with those 

 of the broad-necked Prionus, have almost entirely destroyed 

 the Lombardy poplar in this vicinity. They live also in the 

 trunks of our American poplars. They are of a yellowish- 

 white color, except the upper part of the first segment, which 

 is dark buff. When fully grown they measure nearly two 

 inches in length. The body is very thick, rather larger 

 before than behind, and consists of twelve segments separated 

 from each other by deep transverse furrows. The first 

 segment is broad, and slopes obliquely downwards to the 

 head ; the second is very narrow ; on the upper and under 

 sides of each of the following segments, from the third 

 to the tenth inclusive, there is a transverse oval space, 

 rendered rough like a rasp by minute projections. These 

 rasps serve instead of legs, which are entirely wanting. The 

 beetles may be found on the trunks and branches of the 

 various kinds of poplars, in August and September ; they 

 fly by night, and sometimes enter the open windows of 

 houses in the evening. 



The borers of the apple-tree have become notorious, through- 

 out the New England and Middle States, for their extensive 

 ravages. They are the larvas of a beetle called Saperda 

 bivittata * by Mr. Say, the two-striped, or the brown and 

 white striped Saperda (Plate II. Fig. 16) ; the upper side of 

 its body being marked with two longitudinal white stripes 

 between three of a light-brown color, while the face, the an- 

 tennas, the under side of the body, and the legs are white. 

 This beetle varies in length from a little more than one 

 half to three quarters of an inch. It comes forth from the 

 trunks of the trees, in its perfected state, early in June, 

 making its escape in the night, during which time only it 

 uses its ample wings in going from tree to tree in search 



* Saperda Candida ? Fabricius. 



