yellow, or orange. Often, there are many color variations and 
patterns within a species. 
The turpentine borer, Buprestis apricans Hbst., long considered 
the most important eastern member of the genus, occurs through- 
out the southern coastal regions from North Carolina to Texas, 
and breeds in longleaf, slash, loblolly, shortleaf, and pitch pines. 
The adult (fig. 48) is grayish-bronze with a greenish, metallic 
lustre and is about 25 mm. long. It is elliptical, somewhat flat- 
tened, and each elytron bears eight rows of large punctures. 
Full-grown larvae have the prothoracic plates roughened and 
Seepoe above by a dark brown Y, and they are up to 40 mm. 
ong. 
Turpentine borer beetles emerge in February or March and 
feed for a short time on the needles in the tops of their hosts. 
Eggs are deposited in exposed wood containing season checks, 
especially at the edges of turpentine faces and on fire-scarred sur- 
faces. The larvae tunnel in the sapwood and heartwood, construct- 
ing long, narrowly oval, tortuous mines and filling them with solidly 
packed, fine, granular, pitchy frass. At maturity, they form cells 
in which to pupate near the surface. There the adult spends the 
winter. About 8 years are spent in the larval stage. 
The turpentine borer used to be the most destructive insect in 
the turpentine orchards of the South (38, 40). Borer riddled trees 
were weakened so severely, they became subject to wind break- 
age. The lumber value of such trees was virtually destroyed, and 
gum production was seriously reduced. Attacks can be prevented 
or reduced through the exercise of care in preventing the ex- 
COURTESY OF DUKE UNIY. SCH. OF 
FOREST. 
FIGURE 48.—Adult of the 
turpentine borer, Bupres- 
tis apricans. 
164 
