THE HUISACHE GIRDLER. 5 



of information has been placed on record of Oncideres cingulata 

 Say. It appears that some of the early writers on the Onciderini 

 mentioned only the genus Oncideres in writing of the depredations 

 of the insects concerned. 



The first information received by the Bureau of Entomology in 

 regard to the injurious appearance of Oncideres putator in this coun- 

 try was in 1899 at Calabasas, Ariz. The report came from Mr. 

 Morgan E. Wise, who sent specimens of mesquite {Prosopis juli- 

 flora) which had been girdled by the beetle, together with the state- 

 ment that this tree was much injured by the girdler. The previous 

 year the beetles had accomplished much damage, so that this year 

 the girdled dead twigs snapped off. It was the opinion of the cor- 

 respondent that, if this condition was continued, ultimately the 

 mesquite tree would be exterminated by being so badly crippled as to 

 preclude the possibility of its bearing fruit. Mr. Schwarz says that 

 the beetles damage mesquite in western Texas and New Mexico, as 

 well as in Arizona. 



The genus Oncideres has been discussed by a number of authors, 

 but the writer has been unable to find, in literature on this group, 

 any memoranda on the biology of the species in question. Dr. W. 

 MuUer^ discusses the habits of Oncideres in South America, but 

 mentions no specific characteristics, nor does he mention the occur- 

 rence of Oncideres pitiator. He states, however, that the species 

 which occur in Brazil frequently sever branches of a diameter of 2 

 inches or more. 



Leng and Hamilton ^ state that Oncideres putator is probably 

 synonymous with 0. cingulata Say. 



The species was originally described by Thomas,^ but no biological 

 notes are included in the description. 



FOOD PLANTS. 



So far as the writer has been able to observe, the species has in 

 southern Texas five food plants, but the huisache appears to be pre- 

 ferred and the other trees have never been found to be injured in any 

 way comparable with the huisache. The following is a list of the 

 plants or trees on which the species has been found feeding, as well 

 as depositing: 



Huisache {Acacia famesiana)^ mesquite {Prosopis glandulosa) <, 

 huajilla {Acacia herlandieri) ^ ratama {Parhinsonia aculeata)^ and 

 Mi/mosa lindheimeri The host plants are here given in the order 

 of preference by the insect, and no great amount of injury has been 



' Mdll'.T, W. Cljf.T (lie (cwolinholtcii flrilgfr OnvidercH-Arian. In KosmoH, Zc.'ltschrlft 

 fiir dl'! gfc.samtr; EntwlckluKHlohrt,', v. 10, p. .ifi-.'JS, 1880. Stuttgart. 



" Leog, C. W., and Hamilton, .lolin. Thf Lnmllno} of North America, hi TranH. Amer. 

 Ent. Soc., V. 2.3, p. 101-178, Marfli, 189(5. OnddcroH, p. 140-111. 



*ThomHon, .Tami'H. IMij-hIh, v. 2, no, Ti, r.nrlH, Auf,'., 1H08. ItfvlHloii tlcM jjroiipcn des 

 Ondd^rltCH, p. 41-92. Onciderca putator, p. 81. 



