THE SAPERDA TRIDENTATA. 
Ill 
into the top of the tree, and there feed upon the epidermis of 
the tender twigs, and the petioles of the leaves, often wholly 
denuding the latter, and causing the leaves to fall. They 
deposit their eggs, two or three in a place, upon the tmnk 
and branches, especially about the forks, making slight incis¬ 
ions or punctures, for their reception, with their strong jaws. 
As many as ninety eggs have been taken from a single beetle. 
The oriTibs, hatched from these echo’s, undermine the bark to 
the extent of six or eio;ht inches, in sinuous channels, or 
penetrate the solid wood an equal distance. It is supposed 
that three years are required to mature the insect. Various 
expedients have been tried to arrest their course, but without 
effect. A stream, thrown into the tops of the trees from the 
hydrant, is often used with good success to dislodge other 
insects ; but the borer-beetles, Avhen thus disturbed, take 
wing and hover over the trees till all is quiet, and then alight 
and go to work acjain. The trunks and branches of some of 
the trees have been washed over with various preparations 
without benefit. Borincr the trunk near the o:round, and 
O O' 
putting in sulphur and other drugs, and plugging, have been 
tried with as little effect.” 
This beetle I have taken in Massachusetts only in June, 
mostly between the 1st and ITth, and none after the 20th 
day of the month. The grub closely resembles that of the 
apple-tree borer. Figures of the insect, in all its stages, 
may be seen in the tenth volume «f Hovey’s ^Magazine, 
page 330. 
There is another destructive Sajjerda^ whose history re¬ 
mains to be written. It is the Saperda tridentata (Plate II. 
Fig. 13), so named by Olivier on account of the tridentate 
or three-toothed red border of its wincr-covers. This beetle 
o 
is of a dark brown color, with a tint of gray, owing to a 
thin coating of very short down. It is ornamented with a 
curved line behind the eyes, two stripes on the thorax, and 
a three-toothed or three-branched stripe on the outer edge 
of each Aving-cover, of a msty red color. There are also 
