334 
LEPIDOPTERA. 
operation should be performed in the spring, or during the 
month of June. In the winter the strings may be removed, 
and in the following spring the trees should again be exam¬ 
ined for any borers that may have escaped search betbre, 
and the protecting applications should be renewed. 
In Europe there is a species of jSlgeria^ named by Lin¬ 
naeus tipuliformis^ which has long been known to inhabit 
the stems of the currant-bush. This, or an insect closely 
resembling it, is far too common in America, in the culti¬ 
vated currant, with which it may have been introduced from 
Europe. The caterpillars are produced from eggs laid sin¬ 
gly, near the buds ; when hatched, they penetrate the stem 
to the pith, which they devour, and thus form a burrow 
of several inches in leno:th in the interior of the stem. 
As the borer increases in size, it enlarges the hole com¬ 
municating Avith its burroAV, to admit of the more ready 
passage of its castings, and to afford it the means of escape 
Avhen it is transformed to a moth. The inferior size of 
the fruit affords an indication of the operations of the 
borers; and the perforated stems frequently break off at 
the part affected, or, if of sufficient size still to support the 
Aveight of the foliage and fruit, they soon become sickly, 
and finally die. 
In some gardens, nearly eA^ery currant-bush has been 
attacked by these borers ; and instances are knoAvn to -me 
AAdierein all attempts to raise currant-bushes from cuttings 
have been baffled, during the second or third year of the 
groAvth of the plants, by the raA^ages of these insects^. They 
complete their transformations, and appear in the moth state, 
about the middle of June. 
The moth is of a blue-black color; its Avings are trans¬ 
parent, but veined and fringed Avith black, and across the 
tips of the anterior pair there is a broad band, Avhich is 
more or less tinged Avith copper-color; the under side of 
the feelers, the collar, the edges of the shoulder-coA^ers, 
and three very narroAv rings on the abdomen, are golden 
