REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST igi2 lOI 



Bronze birch borer ( A g r i 1 u s a n x i u s Gory) . The destruc- 

 tive work of this pest at Lansingburg, northern Troy, was recorded 

 last year and observations the present season show that the tops 

 of the infested trees have succumbed. Furthermore, this borer is 

 weU estabHshed in the southern part of Troy and in Washington . 

 park, Albany. It is probably becoming w^ell distributed in this sec- 

 tion, and the history of white birches in recent years in the west- 

 ern part of the State may be shortly duplicated in the Hudson 

 valley. 



The signs of injury are well marked and are first evidenced by 

 the thin foliage and dying condition of the upper branches. A 

 more detailed examination may result in finding well-marked an- 

 nular ridges around some of the smaller branches, frequently ac- 

 companied by reddish or rusty brown spots here and there on the 

 white bark, indicating the operation of a borer beneath. This can be 

 confirmed by cutting into the tree, especially where there are ridges 

 and disclosing in the inner bark or sapwood a flattened, usually 

 more or less sinuous channel. The only practical method of con- 

 trolling this insect is to cut out and burn all afifected wood prior 

 to early May, since the beetles appear the latter part of that month 

 or early in June and may then attack other trees. A more detailed 

 account of this insect is given in the w^riter's report for last year. 



Pine bark borer ( I p s p i n i Say). This medium size to small 

 bark borer is one of the most destructive of these forms in this 

 section. An examination of conditions in the outskirts of Schenec- 

 tady resulted in finding many dead white pines here and there in 

 groves. They almost invariably had succumbed to attacks by this 

 bark borer and the operations of its allies. The dead pines seen 

 here and there had been killed earlier, while some showing needles 

 were nearly dead and still others were found to be very badly 

 infested- though there was no appreciable change in the character 

 of the foliage. The latter trees had the inner bark fairly riddled 

 the last of August with the longitudinal galleries of the beetles 

 and the irregular transverse expanding burrows of the grubs. 

 Practically the only external evidence of the injury at that time 

 was inconspicuous particles of brown or white sawdust thrown out 

 by the beetles as they were entering the trees, and an occasional 

 pitch tube. The latter is about a quarter of an inch high and in 

 diameter and is made by the beetle bringing out particles of pitch 

 and piling them around the point, of entrance. The presence of 

 pitch tubes is indisputable evidence of the beetles attacking living- 



