[91] Report of the State Entomologist. 233 



The Cane-girdling. 



The two rings referred to in the communication consist of closely- 

 placed punctures which are made by the mandibles of the beetle 

 around the stem not far from its tip; the distance between the rings 

 ranges from half an inch to one inch. As soon as these punctures are 

 made — usually in the month of June — the portion of the cane above 

 the upper girdling commences to wither and droop, to shrivel and die, 

 when it is easily broken off by the wind. 



It is supposed that the purpose served by the girdling is the arrest 

 of the circulation of the cane in the portion thus treated, to the extent 

 that the tender egg deposited therein may not be crushed by the 

 vigorous and rapid growth of the tips at just this season. A number 

 of insects are apparently endued with an instinct that leads them to 

 resort to some similar method for the preservation of their eggs in 

 cases where a provision of the kind seems to be needed. 



Summary of Life-history. 



The egg, which is deposited by the beetle in the cane previous to the 

 girdling, hatches in a few days and the grub therefrom burrows 

 downward into the cane, feeding meanwhile upon the pith. It may 

 be found full-grown a few inches down the stem about the first of 

 September. It passes the winter within the stem (according to Riley, 

 in the root beneath the surface of the ground), to emerge therefrom 

 as the perfect beetle the following June. . 



The beetle unquestionably prefers the garden raspberry for oviposi- 

 tion, yet it is also to be found at times on the more tender canes of the 

 blackberry. Professor Riley has observed its operations in cotton- 

 wood [Populus monilifera], and identified its oviposition in the twigs 

 of persimmon [Diospyros Virginiana] from Saint Augustine, Florida.* 

 A closely related species, Oberea Schaumii, oviposits in sassafras, accord- 

 ing to Mr. Schwarz. 



The Oberea perspicillata of Walsh and other writers is our raspberry- 

 cane borer under a name given it by Haldeman in 1847, as cited. 



Remedy. 



It is seldom that this insect appears in sufficient number to be the 

 occasion of serious injury. Its multiplication may be prevented by 

 going over the bushes at intervals of a few days, during the period of 

 its oviposition when the bent and wilted tips at once disclose the 

 attack, and breaking off the egg-bearing tips at the lower ring. If 

 these tips are destroyed, the unhatched eggs or the newly hatched 

 larv?e will be destroyed with them, the larva not having at this time 

 passed downward into the cane. 



* Bulletin No. 12, Div. of Entomology, U. 8. Dept. Agricul., 1886, p. 34. 



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