INSECTS AFFECTING PARK AND WOODLAND TREES 483 

 BORERS IN DRIED USUALLY MANUFACTURED WOOD 



White marked powder-post beetle 



Lyctris parallelopipedus Melsh. 

 Pin holes less than »/ x 6 inch in diameter and galleries of the same size running in 

 various directions in wood, may contain linear, black, white marked beetles about 3 /,6 inch 

 long. 



This powder-post beetle has very similar habits to those of the more 

 common species, L yet us unipunctatus Herbst., though it appears 

 to be much rarer. Its destructive work was brought to our attention in 

 July 1903, on the reception of a piece of ash from a large furniture man- 

 ufacturer of New York city, accompanied by the statement that the insects 

 were causing considerable damage to rough stock on hand and had also 

 bred out in numbers from manufactured products, to their great detriment. 

 The piece of ash was badly tunneled by the galleries of this insect and 

 practically worthless for furniture purposes. 



Description. The beetle is a jet black or dark brown, linear insect 

 about 3/ X 6 inch 4ong and easily distinguished from the common powder-post 

 beetle, Lyctus unipunctatus Herbst., by the broad, creamy white 

 band near the middle of the wing covers and extending almost to the 

 suture. The head and prothorax are rather coarsely and irregularly 

 punctured, while the wing covers are ornamented with rows of closely set, 

 coarse punctures. The young or larvae are small, six legged, yellowish 

 white grubs with the tip of the body curved. 



The work of this species, like that of the common powder-post beetle, is 

 characterized by fine sawdust dropping from the infested lumber. 



Life history. This species evidently breeds freely in ash. It has been 

 recorded in fig and probably infests other dry hard woods. The beneficial 

 clerid, Elasmocerus terminatus Say, was bred from the ash board 

 infested with this species and is undoubtedly of considerable service in 

 preying upon this wood borer. 



Remedies. Measures of value against the powder-post beetle should 

 be of equal service in checking this species. 



