MAPLE BORERS. 391 
16. Xyloterus politus Say. 
According to Prof. J. A. Lintner this bark-borer lives at the expense 
of the maple. 
17. Stenoscelis brevis Boheman. 
Order Coleoptera ; family Calandrhxe. 
This beetle occurred in a partly rotten stump of the red maple in a 
swamp at Providence, June 1, in company with Dicerca divaricata and 
Xestobium affine. All these beetles were submitted to Dr. Leconte for 
identification. The mines are irregular, sinuous, 1.5 to 2 mm in diameter, 
and were quite numerous. 
18. Xestobium affine Le Conte. 
Order Coleoptera ; family Ptinid.e. 
Several specimens of this beetle occurred June 1 in a rotten stump, 
with the larvae, which closely resembles those of Ernobius. It makes 
a sinuous mine 4 mm in diameter, opening externally by a round hole 3 mm 
in diameter j the burrows being filled with fine excrement. 
Larva. — Body cylindrical, white, soft, very full and rounded at the end, a little 
the thickest at the thoracic portion ; three pairs of thoracic, three-jointed, rather 
slender feet. Head rather large, more than half as thick as the body. End of abdo- 
men covered with rather dense yellowish hairs. Length, 10 mra ; thickness of body, 
3.1 to 4 mm . Fig. 441 of Ernobius mollis in my Guide to the Study of Insects well repre- 
sents tne general appearance of this larva. 
BORING IN THE TWIGS. 
19. The aster stalk-borer. 
Gortyna nitela Guen. 
This common borer of the stalks of the dahli a and aster has been 
observed by Professor Osborn boring in young twigs of the ash, 
many dead twigs being the proofs of their work. Miss Murtfeldt 
Fig. 146.— The aster stalk-borer and moth.— After Riley. 
has also observed it in twigs of the maple {Acer dasycarpum), and 
Professor Kiley states that it occurs in peach twigs as well as the 
branches of Ambrosia artemisicefolia. He also states that the young 
worm in Illinois hatches about the 1st of July, and immediately begins 
its work of destruction. The plant in which it feeds does not usually 
