INSECT ENEMIES OF EASTERN FORESTS 193 
The turpentine borer presents a very serious problem in the naval 
stores region, particularly in turpentining orchards. The meandering 
galleries of the larvae completely riddle the sap and heartwood, so 
weakening the trees that these break off in the wind (fif. 40, @). 
Often many of the turpentined trees are blown over during storms. 
Serious lowering of the grade of the lumber in the lower parts of 
the trees results from the worm holes and from the “pitching” of the 
wood around the larval mines. As this borer lays its eggs only in 
season checks of exposed wood, the most satisfactory prevention 1s to 
keep the turpentined faces covered with pitch and avoid dry facing. 
This calls for absolute protection of the faces from fire, and for the 
use of conservative turpentining practices such as are recommended 
by the United States Forest Service, which includes shallow chipping, 
narrow faces, sufficient spacing between faces, avoiding deep cuts for 
gutter insertion, and careful scraping of the gum so as not to expose 
the wood. Beal (25) discusses the control of this pest. 
A number of species of the genus Buprestis occur rather commonly 
throughout the Eastern States and are frequently met with around 
logging operations. Some forms, particularly B. decora F., B. striata 
¥., B. salisburyensis Hbst., B. fascinata F., and B. rufipes Oliv. are 
beautifully colored and attract considerable attention. b, rufipes 
breeds in dead elm, gum, beech, chestnut, oak, and hickory; all the 
others so far as known feed in conifers. 
The large flatheaded pine heartwood borer (Chalcophora virgin- 
tensts (Dru.) ) is a very large, dark-bronze, elongate-oval beetle, from 
23 to 33 mm. long and 8 to 10 mm. wide. The thorax is wider than 
long, with a median line on an elevated prominence, bordered by a 
rough grayish groove on each side. The elytra are marked with dark 
or shining irregular elevations and rough, grayish depressions. The 
larva is creamy white and is the largest of the flatheaded borers, meas- 
uring 50 mm. or more in length and about 15 mm. in width at the 
prothorax. The plates of the thorax are roughened by interrupted 
rows of dark chitinous points forming ridges. The dorsal plate is 
marked by a distinct dark Y and the ventral by a median groove. 
This insect occurs throughout the Eastern and Southern States and 
probably breeds in all the pines. The adults appear in the early sum- 
mer and are often conspicuous, as they fly around logging operations, 
because of the distinct buzzing noise. The larvae mine for several 
years in the sapwood and heartwood of stumps and logs, converting 
the wood to a mass of sawdust with nothing but an outer shell remain- 
ing. Living trees are attacked through fire scars and blazes, the 
insects completely destroying the butt log. Pine logs left in the woods 
too long after cutting are severely damaged by this borer. No control 
other than prompt sawing is recommended. 
Chalcophora fortis Lec., C. liberta (Germ.), and C. georgiana (Lec. ) 
are three other species of similar appearance and habit, which are more 
or less abundant locally. As far as known, they are all pine feeders 
and often associated with C. virginiensis. 
A beetle resembling Chalcophora virginiensis but somewhat more 
slender is C. campestris (Say), the flatheaded sycamore-heartwood 
borer. It has irregular markings on the elytra, forming four irregular 
ridges. The larva is likewise quite similar to that of C. virginiensis, 
but the chitinous points on the thoracic plates are farther apart and 
