Insect.'^ Injurious Id IIic Apple. 



Ill 



THE FRUIT BARK BEETLE. 



(Seel III ii.'i iiniilliisiis, Itutz.) 



Tile daniaye caused liy this Hark Beelle seems to lie on tJie 

 iiKTeasc. It is recorded from J)evuii, A\'orcester and Iveiit. "Writui-' 

 in duly I'.Mjr,, Mr. Lewis Levy of r.(irdeu Hall, near SitlinslH,llrnt^ 

 says : '■ AVe have a jilum tree which has jusi died, and find numerous 

 tunnels lietweenthe liark and the wood, and also in the latter." The 

 s]iecimen sent and the dama.i^-ed wood, proved the culprit to be 

 ,S'(7///////x riniii/n.-i/is. Xuuieroirs trees were ohsei'ved in Worcestershire, 

 several of which had heeu killed, and 

 others were dving from the effects of this 

 Bark lieetle. ' 



The worst attackeil S[M:cimen seen was 

 sent me by j\Ir. tiardner of Oinbersley, 

 wdio very wisely desti'oyed the infested 

 trees. I'art of this tiee L;i\-en me rs repro- 

 duced here (Fig. IK!). 



The beetle has somewdiat varied fooil. 

 It seenrs to lia\'e, howe\-er, a decitled 

 preference for apple and plum. I have 

 seen pears similarly attack'ed, but never 

 cherries. 



The Hoard of Agriculture Leaflet 

 (No. VJ) says also jieach, apricot, nectarine 

 and quince. In some cases it seems that 

 the beetles prefer to oviposit in the 

 smaller branclie.s and twigs, \vliich thus 

 wither and die. Tlie lea\-es soon show 

 signs of their presence by wilting, dying 

 later aiul turning brown; the bark then cracks and eventually 

 peels off 



i\Iost cases recorded and seen during the past few 3'ears have been 

 attacks on the stems of trees from eight to fifteen years old. In one 

 case the whole stem from ii\"e feet above the ground into the branches 

 was riddled with shot holes — the "flight holes" of the beetles. 

 ^^'hilst on the smaller boughs ami twigs tlie bark readily cracks and 

 splits off, that on the stem was noticed to remain in its uoinial 

 [losition. (jn removing tlie bark one finds that the shot holes lead 

 down through it to the wood, in the soft sappy layer of which the 

 larval scolyti nuiy be seen working and scul]ituring galleries, which 



ll.\]!K IlKl'^rLK (Si-u/i/lN 



