6 BULLETIN 262, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



collect about the insect during the inactive period of pupation. The 

 pupal stage is from 10 days to 2 weeks in duration. 



As has been stated (p. 4) the adults appear in July and August. 

 The writer's observations indicate that the beetles are rather short 

 lived, although Snyder 1 believes that oviposition may continue from 

 August to October, and Hart 2 mentions a 1 specimen collected in 

 Illinois on September 25. The beetles are somewhat sluggish and fly 

 at twilight, perhaps extending their activities throughout the night. 



NATURAL ENEMIES. 



In the year 1880 Hiley 3 mentioned an ichneumon fly belonging 

 to the genus Pimpla as parasitic upon the borers of this species. 

 The writer has found the hymenopterous parasite, Odontomerus 

 mellipes Say 4 (PI. IV, fig. c), attacking the Parandra borer in 

 West Virginia. This latter parasite destroys the borer and then con- 

 structs an elongate cocoon of white silk within the burrow of the 

 host, in which it changes to the adult form. 



The Biological Survey has found this beetle in the stomach of the 

 olive-sided flycatcher (NuttaUornis horealis). 



REMEDIAL MEASURES. 



The first and most important consideration relative to preventing 

 injury to trees by the Parandra borer is the keeping of the trees in 

 such a condition of soundness that the beetles will not deposit eggs 

 in them. As has been pointed out (p. 3), the entrance of the borer 

 into the tree is first made at some point where dead wood is exposed 

 by the removal or decay of bark as a result of some mechanical 

 injury or disease. If exposed dead surfaces can be prevented, the 

 danger of attacks from this borer will be eliminated. Injury to the 

 trunks or larger branches of fruit trees, affording favorable places for 

 borer attack, result from a variety of causes, some of which at least 

 are easily preventable. The practice which is not uncommon of 

 leaving stubs 6 inches or more in length in pruning out large branches 

 is quite likely to result ultimately in injury from this insect. The 

 stubs left are practically sure to die back to the trunk and form a 

 decayed spot or cavity that is exactly to the liking of the beetle as 

 a place in which to oviposit. (PI. II, figs, a, b.) Instead of leaving 

 such stubs when removing large branches, the cut should be 

 made near to the trunk where the natural swell at the base of the 

 branch will insure healing to be most rapid. The cut surface should 

 then be covered with a heavy coat of white lead or some similar paint. 



i Snyder, T. E. Damage to chestnut telephone and telegraph poles by wood-boring insects. U. S. Dept. 

 Agr., Bur. Ent. Bui. 94, Pt. I, p. 3, Dec. 31, 1910. 



2 Hart, C A. The heartwood borer (Parandra brunnea Fabr.) In 26th Rpt. HI. State Ent., p. 72, 1911. 



3 Riley, C. V. Ash-root borer: Supposed eggs of Odontota. In Amer. Ent. , v. 3 (new ser., v. 1), no. 8, 

 p. 202, August, 1880. 



4 Specimens of this parasite were very kindly determined by Mr. J. C. Crawford, of the U. S. National 

 Museum. 



