BULLETIN OF THE 
No. 261 
% 
By E. B. Bi 
|rj l^niribution from the Bureau of Entomology, L. O. Howard, Chief. 
July 19, 1915. 
5 > 
(PROFESSIONAL PAPER 
AMERICAN PLUM BORER. 1 
:slee, Entomological Assistant, Deciduous Fruit Insect Investigations. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. 
Introduction 1 
History 2 
Distribution 2 
Food plants 3 
Feeding habits and character of injury 3 
Description of stages 3 
The egg 3 
The larva 4 
The pupa 4 
The adult 4 
Spring pupation of wintering larva? 5 
Page. 
E mergence of spring brood of moths 6 
Opposition of first generation of moths 7 
Length of life of moths of spring brood 9 
Habits of the moths 9 
Incubation of first-brood eggs 10 
First-brood larva? 10 
Hibernation 11 
Natural enemies 12 
Remedial measures 12 
Bibliography 13 
INTRODUCTION. 
In the summer of 1912, while engaged in deciduous fruit insect 
investigations at Winchester, Va., the writer's attention was attracted 
by the common occurrence upon apple of the American plum borer ; 
Euzopliera semifuneralis Walk. Although injury to fruit trees by 
the larvae of this insect was recorded by Forbes in Illinois as early as 
1890, very little has since been published concerning it. This lack 
of attention may be attributed to the fact that though common and 
widely distributed it has never occurred in sufficient numbers or been 
sufficiently destructive to call upon it any special notice as an economic 
species. 
The food habits of this insect are particularly interesting when 
contrasted with those of other wood-boring species. It is also an in- 
sect that under certain conditions is capable of doing considerable 
damage to trees which have been injured either mechanically or by 
the attacks of fungous diseases. At the suggestion and under the 
direction of Mr. A. L. Quaintance, of the Bureau of Entomology, 
an attempt was made, therefore, in the summer of 1913 and 1914, 
to study the insect's biology. 
For the photographs presented in this paper the writer is indebted 
to Mr. Fred E. Brooks, of the Bureau of Entomology. 
1 Euzophera semifuneralis Walk.; order Lepid op tera, family Pyralidae. 
93700°— Bull. 261—15 
