The pronotum bears transverse ridges and the body is marked 
with transverse yellow lines. 
The red-headed ash borer, Neoclytus acuminatus (F.), one of 
our most common wood borers, occurs generally throughout the 
eastern United States and in southeastern Canada. Its hosts in- 
clude nearly all dying and dead hardwoods, but chiefly ash, oak, 
hickory, persimmon, and hackberry. Unseasoned logs of ash, oak, 
and hickory with the bark intact are especially subject to heavy 
attack. The adult is about 15 mm. long. The head and thorax are 
reddish; the body is light brown with the apical part of the elytra 
sometimes much darker. The elytra are also marked with four 
transverse bands of fine yellow hairs and the middle and hind 
legs are long and reddish. 
Adults become active by mid-February in the Deep South and 
progressively later until May or June in the North. Eggs are 
deposited beneath the bark of dead, unseasoned wood. The larvae 
feed first beneath the bark, then they tunnel into the sapwood 
and often reduce it to powder. In the South there are several 
generations per year; in the North, only one. 
Neoclytus caprea (Say), the banded ash borer, occurs in east- 
ern Canada and throughout much of the United States. Its hosts 
are recorded as ash, hickory, elm, mesquite, and, rarely, white 
oak. In eastern United States, it commonly breeds in ash logs. 
Adults are dark brown to almost black and from 12 to 25 mm. 
long. There is a line of fine, white or yellowish hairs on the 
thorax and four bands of the same material and color across the 
elytra. The first two bands meet, almost forming circles. 
Adults emerge in early spring and fly to host material where 
they deposit their eggs in crevices in the bark. Ash logs cut dur- 
ing the winter are especially subject to attack. The larvae feed 
for awhile under the bark and then bore into the sapwood where 
they feed for the remainder of the summer. Pupation occurs in 
the fall, but the adult does not emerge from the wood until the 
following spring. There is usually one generation per year; how- 
ever, if the infested material is sawed, stored, and dried out, the 
life cycle may require several years. Ash logs left in the woods 
or stored with the bark on may be literally honeycombed with 
tunnels tightly packed with frass (fig. 58). 
Other species of Neoclytus likely to be encountered in eastern 
forests and some of their known hosts are as follows: N. mu- 
cronatus (F.) (fig. 59)—the dead branches and trunks of hick- 
ory; N. jouteli (Davis)—dead oak twigs; N. fulguratus Casey— 
dead branches of oak; N. scutellaris (Oliv.)—elm, oak, hickory; 
N. muricatulus Kirby—larch, spruce, pine (in southern Canada 
and from Maine to Ohio) ; and N. muricatulus muricatulus Kirby 
—small post oaks (in North Carolina). 
The genus Saperda F. is represented in eastern forests by sev- 
eral important species. Depending on the species, the larvae 
either bore in (1) the large branches or trunks of living trees; 
(2) in small branches and produce galls; or (3) in living or dead 
wood of dying or recently killed trees. Adults are medium-sized 
and cylindrical in form. The head is quadrate in front and very 
flat; the antennae are about as long as the body; the first joint 
of the hind tarsus is elongated; and the body is rather densely 
184 
