INSECT ENEMIES OF THE REDWOOD. 



By -A. D. Hopkins, 



III Charge of Fared Insect Investigations, Division of Entomologii. 



In ISSl Mr. Henry Edwards described a pitch worm as very destruc- 

 tive to Sequoia sempervirens/' In 1899 the writer found two species 

 of bark beetles living in the bark of recently felled trees.* In 1900 

 the Division of Entomology obtained information from Mr. J. E, 

 Norton, through a lumber firm in San Francisco, indicating that Red- 

 wood lumber was immune from attack by termites, or white ants;'' 

 and this was verified by experiments conducted in the Philippine 

 Islands by Mr. D. N. McChesney, as reported hy Capt. George P. 

 Ahern, Chief of the Philippine Forestiy Bureau.'^ 



This embraces about all that has been published relating to Redwood 

 insects. 



These insects and their work may be described in more detail as 

 follows, the small type indicating information from other authors 

 and ordinary type that based on the writer's observ^ations, whether 

 previously published or not : 



THE SEQUOIA -ffiGERINIAN, OR REDWOOD PITCH WORM. 



( Vespaniinid sequoia: Hy. Edw.) 



This relative of the common peach-tree borer is described b}' 

 Henry Edwards'' and othei' writers^ as very destructive to Redwood. 

 Mr. Beutemiiller says : 



According to Hy. Edwards this species is devastating the i^ine forests in Mendocino 

 County, California, and is particularly destructive to the Big Tree {Sequoia seynper- 

 virens), Pinus p)onderosus, and Piims himhertiano. The eggs are laid in the axils of 

 the branches, the young caterpillar boring in a tortuous manner about its retreat, 

 thus diverting the flow of sap and causing large resinous nodules to form at the 

 place of its workings. These nodules gradually harden, the branch then dies, and 

 the tree at last succumbs to its insignificant enemies. Hundreds of fine trees in the 

 forests of the region are to be seen in various stages of decay. The moths make 

 their appearance in June and July, during which period the eggs are deposited. The 



«Papilio, vol. i (1881), p. 181; also Bui. U. S. Ent. Comm. No. 7, Appendix. 



?>Bul. .31, N. S., Div. Ent., U. S. Dept. Agr., pp. 7, 19, 20. 



fBul. .30, N. S., pp. 95, 96. 



<1A.H quoted in Bui. 33, Bur. Forestry, p. 20. 



<' Beutemiiller, Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., vol. i, part vii, pp. 263,264. 



