7 

 II. THE SUGAR MAPLE BORER 



From Concord, Hanover, and other places in the central 

 region of the state, there has been considerable complaint 

 regarding a borer in maple trees. Affected trees looked 

 unhealthy, having yellowed foliage and little of it ; after mid- 

 summer the bark of the trunks showed holes as large around as 

 a lead-pencil. The injury was easily identified as that of the 

 insect long known as the Sugar Maple Borer.* This is no 

 new enemy to the maples of this state ; in 1828, Rev. L. W. 

 Leonard of Keene, New Hampshire, studied the insect and 

 gave the first account of its life-history to Dr. T. W. Harris, 

 the author of the classic Insects Injurious to Vegetation. Since 

 that time it appears to have been present throughout most of 

 New England to a greater or less extent. 



The adult or perfect insect of this maple borer is a large and 

 handsome beetle, of the shape and size represented in Fig. 3. 

 It is about an inch long, with a rounded body and rather long 

 feelers or antenna;. " The head," writes Dr. Harris, " is yel- 



Fig. 3. Beetle of Maple Borer. (After Saunders). 



low with the antennas and the eyes reddish-black ; the thorax 

 is black, with two transverse yellow spots on each side ; the 

 wing covers for about two-thirds of their length are black ; the 

 remaining third is yellow, and they are ornamented with bands 

 and spots arranged in the following manner: a yellow spot on 

 each shoulder, a broad, yellow, curved band or arch, of which 

 the yellow scutel forms the keystone on the base of the wing- 

 covers ; behind this is a zig-zag yellow band, forming the letter 



* Glycobius speciosus. 



