1907.] Insect, Fungous and other Pests. 



213 



This insect is frequently very destructive to willows and should 

 be destroyed. The beetles may be shaken or jarred off the 

 trees into pails containing a little paraffin, or on to tarred boards. 

 If such methods are not convenient the trees should be sprayed 

 with Paris green, 1 lb. in 150 gallons of water. 



Banded Ash-Borer Beetle. — Specimens of a wood-boring beetle^ 

 which was found in stored ash timber were submitted to the 

 Board early in June. During 1905 it was discovered that a stack, 

 of American ash was badly infested with a destructive beetle. 

 The stack of timber was at once broken down and the space - 

 thoroughly cleared and cleaned ; the remaining stock of 

 American ash was used up as quickly as possible, and further 

 purchases w T ere not made. There was no further development 

 until in April last a load was taken from a stack of English ash- 

 put up in 1904. It was then found that one plank was honey- 

 combed in a similar manner to the American wood, and the 

 beetles were afterwards identified as the Banded Ash-Borer^ 

 Neoclytus caprea. The insect is an American species, which, in 

 the United States, has at various times done very great damage- 

 to ash, and has also been found in the felled trunks of elm and 

 hickory. 



The fact that this beetle, introduced in ash from America, 

 has found an environment suitable for its egg-laying, de- 

 velopment, and issue in Britain, affords an additional and 

 interesting proof that we owe some of our insect enemies to 

 importations from abroad. There is always the danger that 

 insects, not British, introduced in timber may become 

 naturalised. This danger is certainly present in the case of 

 the family Cerambycidce, or Longicorns, to which the species 

 Neoclytus caprea belongs, as the adults are hardy and may be 

 good fliers. An adult longicorn, Goes tigrina, a harmful (United 

 States) species, has been taken alive by Dr. MacDougall from 

 a piece of American oak sold at Liverpool, while it is believed 

 that another American longicorn has become naturalised near 

 Manchester. 



The CerambycidcB are a very large family of beetles, the 

 members of which frequent plants. The adults are found 

 resting in flowers or in bundles of dried twigs or on tree 

 trunks. The larvae or grubs are borers, and live, according 

 to the species, below the bark, in the youngest wood, or 



