38 



In a letter dated March 2T our correspondent wrote that be bad since 



visited several other orchards and was very much surprised to see the 



extent of the damage done by tbis little pest. •• There is hardly an 

 orchard in this vicinity," be wrote. •• but has been injured more or less 

 by it. Two-year-old to 20-year-old trees appear to have been attacked 

 indiscriminately, and in many eases ruined. If anything, the borers 

 seem to have a preference for the north side of the trunk, but on the 

 limbs they occurr everywhere. It puzzles me somewhat that, though 

 I can hardly ever bud any borers in the trunks and very seldom even 

 see galleries there. I invariably see the dark maroon blotches and dead 

 bark under these discoloratious." There seemed to be a rather general 

 impression which appears to have been proven to be a true one) that 

 the diseased condition of the trees was due to ••canker" or ; - black 

 spot." 



In the last specimens received there were numerous parasitic insects 

 present in the galleries, at least two of the parasites to one of the 

 borers. Specimens of wood kept in the insectary of this Department 

 disclosed the beetle.- during March, but other specimens received later 

 did not develop during that month. 



Writing April 17. Mr. Kerr stated that the local fruit inspector, a 

 Mr. Brown, had informed him that be bad noticed the ravages of this 

 insect eight years before the present time, but bad not regarded it as 

 a dangerous species, beiug much surprised to learn the extent of recent 

 injuries. Mr. Kerr"s observations pointed to the borer as commencing 

 near the base of very young trees, but as soon as these grew larger, 

 ascending into the limbs, evidently preferring young and tender wood. 



ATTACK BELIEVED TO BE SECONDARY TO THAT OF A FUNGUS. 



April 27. 1S99. Prof. C.V. Piper. Pullman. Wash., sent a specimen 

 beetle of this species, from Tracyton, Kitsap County, with the informa- 

 tion that the insect was reported to be doing serious damage to the 

 apple industry in that State, many comxnamts relative to it having 

 been received during the year. 



Later, however, on the occasion of a visit to tbis office in the latter 

 days of September, the same gentleman stated that he had given the 

 subject of the attack of this species in his State considerable attention, 

 and his first suspicions in regard to the injurious character of the insect 

 had been much allayed by the discovery that insect injury was appar- 

 ently secondary to the fungus disease known as •• canker" or •• black 

 spot." The presence of this fungus causes large, more or less oval 

 blotches, and it is in these that the female selects, evidently by pref- 

 erence, a place tor oviposition. Kxamination of twigs received from 

 Sunnydale shows on these cankerous spots, or, in some cases, at the 

 sides of them, the minute punctures made by the proboscis of the 

 female while depositing her eggs. Oviposition was noticed in the 

 orchard much later than in our rearing jars, continuing well on during 

 the summer season. 



