88 ORDER COLEOPTERA. 



Althongh the buprestidje are among tlie most elegant and beautiful of the coleoptcra, 

 yet their larva? are one and all more or less injurious to fruit and forest trees. The eggs of 

 the female are deposited upon the trunks and limbs of trees, and, when hatched, the young 

 grubs penetrate slowly through the bark ; and as they are often many years in coming to 

 maturity, time and opportunity is given for extensive injury : it is here they undergo their 

 transformation. 



The larvte of this natural family of insects have a very close resemblance to each other, 

 and hence a brief description of a single species will be sufficient to convey an idea of 

 their general characteristics. These larvae, then, are white or yellowish white, rather long, 

 narrow and somewhat flattened, and furnished each with a small brown head sunk into a 

 suddenly and abruptly widened out thorax, conveying at first view the impression that the 

 head is very large, whereas it is only two or three of the last rings that are thus suddenly 

 ^widened out and enlarged : the upper jaws are supplied with three black teeth. There are 

 no 1^ or other apparatus for locomotion, except two tubercles placed on the under side 

 of the second from the thorax. When drawn out of its burrow, the larva progresses by a 

 kind of wriggling motion, frequently rolling over, though not so often as the more cylin- 

 drical larva of the boring coleoptera. They are found both beneath the bark and in the 

 wood : under the bark, they lie partly coiled, or in the form of a semicircle. The pupa 

 bears a very close resemblance to the perfect insect : it tS found very near the outer 

 surface of the bark, so that when the transformation is complete, the insect has only to 

 perforate a thin scale of bark to escape from its prison into open day. 



The oaks, hickories and pines are the kinds of trees most usually infected with the 

 bupestrian larvae ; and, unfortunately, our knowledge of the ways and means by which 

 these larvae may be destroyed are few and uncertain : the knife and wire are the only 

 infallible means to remove them, when once they are in possession of the premises. Our 

 preventive means, however, in the case of fruit, are more effectual ; such as scraping and 

 washing the trunk and large limbs, at those seasons of the year when they are known to 

 deposit their eggs. This kind of care and attention is rarely bestowed except in the spring, 

 which, so far as the family of borers is concerned, is perfectly ineffectual, as their eggs are 

 laid in the months of June, July and August. The perfect insect, though it may feed on 

 leaves, is comparatively harmless. There is, however, no provision which is so important 

 to keep in check the ravages of these and all other insects, as the preservation and pro- 

 tection of birds. The woodpecker in particular deserves the protection of the farmer, in- 

 asmuch as it is eminently successful in detecting the presence of the larvae of the borers, 

 as well as very expert in dragging them from their burrows. 



