THE LOCUST TWIG BORER. 359 
2. The locust-twig borer. 
Ecdytolopha imiticiana Zell. 
Order Lepidoptera ; family Tortricidje. 
Boring in the twigs of locust, sometimes causing a thickened growth of the stem 
for the distance of from 1 to 3 inches, a pale whitish larva with brownish head, 
which cuts its way out when full grown, descending to the ground and transforming 
into a yellowish-brown pupa in curled leaves upon the surface, and finally emerging 
a dark-brown moth with dirty pinkish-white on the outer portion of the fore- wings. 
We have observed this larva at work at Brunswick, Me., August 20 
to 22, the galls being numerous, but copy Professor Comstock's account 
of the insect, premising that the swelling or galls we observed are about 
20 mm long and 7 to 8 mm thick. They are quite sticky on the surface, 
with a hole at the lower end for the exit of the castings. It is interest- 
ing to observe how the body of a boring Tortricid is modified to adapt 
itself to a lignivorous existence. This is seen in the development of 
rugose semi-chitinous or fleshy patches on the exposed dorsal area of 
the segments. Professor Comstock's account is as follows : 
During the latter part of September the terminal shoots and twigs of several 
varieties of locust (Robinia pseudacacia vars. crispa, tortuosa, and inermis) growing on 
the department grounds were observed to have an abnormal thickened growth from 
1 to 3 inches in length, and enlarging the stem at this place to nearly twice the 
normal size, the enlargement being quite uneven and irregular. An examination of 
some of these diseased stems disclosed the fact that a lepidopterous larva was boring 
along the central part of the stem and feeding upon the tissues. This larva when 
full grown is about half an inch in length, of a yellowish color, somewhat darker on 
the dorsal line. Head dark brown ; thoracic plate light honey yellow. On the 1st 
of October these larvaB left the stem through holes which they had cut out to the 
surface, and descended to the ground, where they transformed to pupae among the 
dry and curled leaves which had fallen, and iu which they spun thin but tough 
silken cocoons. Sometimes they crawled between a fallen leaf and the ground, when 
the cocoon adhered to the leaf on one side and was thickly covered with grains of 
sand on the other. 
The first moth emerged October 17, and others from the 20th to the 27th. An 
examination of a large number of shoots proves that this insect deserts its burrow 
to transform on the ground. 
Some of the shoots were badly infested ; ten places where larvaB were at work 
were counted in one of them, and the whitish excrements hung in clusters from the 
holes, which were almost always between two of the thorns, where the egg had 
probably been deposited. These shoots, however, were not enlarged. 
This species was described under the above name by Prof. P. C. Zeller, of Stettin, 
Germany, from specimens received of Mr. Burgess, who took them in Massachusetts 
in June and July. Professor Fernald informs us that he has received them from Mr. 
Morrison taken in Colorado. 
Remedies. — The only remedies we cau suggest are to cut off the 
infected twigs before the escape of the larvae and burn them. If for 
any reason this has not been done, it would be well to collect carefully 
all the leaves beneath the infested trees and burn them to destroy the 
insects while in the pupal state. This should be done, however, after 
