INSECTS AFFECTING PARK AND WOODLAND TREES 433 



This species is a general feeder, it having been taken on dead twigs of 

 orange, apple, hickory, poplar, oak, maple, yellow locust, beech and also 

 sumac. It appears to, have a general distribution in the northeastern 

 United States, since it has been recorded from West Virginia, New Jersey, 

 New York and the vicinity of Cincinnati O. 



Mordella octopunctata Fabr. 



A narrow, triangular, blackish beetle % inch in length, marked with lines and spots 

 of yellowish or orange, may be met with on various flowers in June. 



This, one of the prettiest species belonging to the genus, may be 

 quickly recognized by the linear buff markings on the thorax, and the 

 yellowish or orange markings on the wing covers. There are, 

 in the specimens before us, six well defined dots on the wing 

 covers, with a somewhat irregular yellowish M on the base 

 of the elytra. 



The larva has been found by Riley, in oak stumps, and he 

 states that it has a yellowish white head with three distinct yel- 

 lowish lines above. The legs are short and the posterior 

 extremity pointed, horned and blackish brown. 



This species has been listed from the Middle and Southern (° rigi' n P a i U ) nctata 

 States by Dr LeConte, has been reported as rare in southwestern Pennsyl- 

 vania by Dr Hamilton, while Ulke states that it, with other species, occurs 

 on bushes and flowers. Dr J. B. Smith records it from a number of New 

 Jersey localities, it being rated in some places as rare, and in others as 

 common. 



Variable oak borer 



PJiymatodcs variabilis Fabr. 



A rather slender, slightly flattened beetle with red prothorax and bluish wing covers, 

 mines as a larva the inner bark of dead and dying oaks, and is also injurious to tan bark. 



This beetle is rather common in midsummer. The slender, reddish 



antennae are a little longer than the body and rise between the deeply 



emarginate, rather finely granulate eyes. The face of the insect is reddish 



brown with a slight blackish area between the bases of the antennae. The 



