16 



OROTTHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 12-:N'o. 1 



these constitute the principal injurious element 

 of this order. 



The Coleoptera could be classed according to 

 their food habits as Predaceous, Scavengers, 

 Parasitic and Herbivorous, the latter contain- 

 ing not only the true wood borers, but leaf 

 beetles and chafers. 



Of the leaf beetles the (Jhrysomdiditi contain 

 the greatest number of species, and among them 

 are some very injurious insects, such as the 

 common potato beetle, Doryphora 10-lineata 

 Say. the prettj' asparagus beetle. Crioceris 

 aspararji Linn, which was introduced a few 

 years ago from Europe and has become of 

 interest in regard to its steady spread over 

 the Atlantic States. 



The cucumber beetle, Diahrotica vittata Fabr. 

 which is exceedingly injurious both in the lar- 

 v;b and imago stages, not only to the cucumber 

 but to other vegetables, especially the squash ; 

 and the interesting flea beetles. 



Some Genera of the ScarahmiUe are Herbi- 

 vorous and contain some noted species of chaf- 

 ers, the larv;e of these being injurious to the 

 roots and stems of grass and plants ; the com- 

 mon May beetle, Phi/llophaya fusca {Lachnos- 

 ternafusca) being found on the foliage of most 

 fruit and forest trees, and other species closely 

 allied are also feeders upon the foliage of plants 

 or trees, among them I will onl}' note the fol- 

 lowing: Macroductylus siibspinosits Fabr. found 

 on the wild rose and literally everywhere in 

 June, the various species of Anomula are all 

 chafers, also the six spotted grape vine beetle, 

 Pelidnota punctata Linn. Euryomia inda Linn, 

 and other Cetonians are among the foliage 

 eaters. 



The true wood borers are principally the 

 Buprestida-, Ccramhycid<K and Ptinida', the 

 latter family containing small sized beetles, 

 some species boring into branches and tender 

 shoots of both fruit and forest trees. 



The BuprestidK in the larval stage are very 

 injurious to trees; the Chrysobothris femorata 

 Fabr. being found in the apple and oak; C. 

 calcaratn in oak ; C. Harrissii in pine, this latter 

 beetle is of a beautiful metallic green color and 

 is a fair representative of the genus; the typical 

 genus Buprestis contains some of the most beau- 

 tiful species of beetles. Dicerca divaricata Say. 

 bores in the cherry and peach trees, the imago 

 can be found in summer on the foliage of trees, 

 especially in July on cherry (see O and O, 

 October, T886.) Dicerca lurida Fabr. bores in 

 the hickory, while another species infest the 

 pine. Chalcophora viryiniensis Drury is the 

 common pine tree borer and is one of the larg- 



est of the American Buprestids, often measur- 

 ing over an inch in length. C Uhcrta also bores 

 in pine. 



Of the species of Ayrilus A., ruficoUis Fabr. 

 infests the raspberry. 



The Cpramhycidoi are easily known by their 

 long antennjie and are commonly termed the 

 Longicorues or long horned wood borers and 

 comprises some remarkable and often beautiful 

 species. Prionus laticollis Drury is one of the 

 largest species, often being one inch and a half 

 long while the antennae measure about an inch. 

 I am not at all acquainted with the larvae which 

 are said to eat the roots of the grape and apple. 

 I have found other wood borers around these 

 roots but I have yet to discover a larva that 

 will correspond with the description of this 

 species. 



The beautiful locust-tree borer, Cyllene 

 robinice Forst. is found in the perfect state 

 about August. The larvae are very injurious 

 to the locust tree, while the larvie of C. spe- 

 ciosus Say. bore in the maple. 



Of the species of the genus Saperda ; S. 

 Candida Fab. bores in the apple tree and is 

 one of the greatest enemies of this tree. S. 

 tridentata Oliv. bores in the elm. 



Elaphidionv illosum Fab. infest while larv;**, 

 the twigs and limbs of the oak tree and have a 

 curious habit of boring in the pith of a twig 

 until it falls to the ground, where it finishes its 

 transformations, emerging in the imago stage in 

 early summer. 



The species of Scolytidct are also either wood 

 borers or bark borers; some species being in- 

 jurious to the pine and other forest trees. 

 Scolytus 4-spinosus Say. burrow under the 

 rough bark of the hickorj^ tree forming curious 

 tunnels and chambers. Hylurcjus terebrans 

 Oliv. a beetle considerable larger than the 

 scolytus just mentioned bores in the pine, 

 while other species of this genus infest the 

 cedar. 



The species of the vast family of weevils, 

 Bhyncophora or Curculionidcn are herbivorous, 

 the larvae infesting either the seeds or fruit of 

 trees, or as galls, or boring under the bark or 

 in the buds of trees prove very destructive to 

 vegetation. Balaninus nasicus Say. is the well 

 known long nosed nut weevil, while other wee- 

 vils infest nearly every fruit and tree of our 

 orchards and forests. Among the most com- 

 mon, may be named the Pissodes strobi Peck., 

 the pine weevil ; the elm tree MaydaJis ; Bari- 

 dius trinotatus Say., the potato stalk weevil. 

 The apple weevil described by Say. under the 

 name of Anthonomus quadriyibbtis, a very 

 small beetle to uphold so long a name. 



