OAK SAPUNG BORER, GOES TESSELATUS HALDEMAN 1 
By Fred E. Brooks 2 
Entomologist, Fruit Insect Investigations, Bureau of Entomology, United States Depart¬ 
ment of Agriculture 
NATURE OF INJURY 
During the last io years the writer has observed in several localities 
of central West Virginia rather extensive injury to young oak and chest¬ 
nut trees by cerambycid larvae of the species Goes tesselatus Haldeman. 
The injury done consists of wide irregular burrows in the wood at the base 
of the trunks. Trees from half an inch to 2 inches in diameter suffer most. 
(PI. 1, D, E, F; PI. 2, A.) Approximately 25 per cent of the infested 
trees die, either directly from the injury inflicted by the larvae or from 
breaking a few inches above the ground (PI. 3, A, B) at the large exit holes 
made by the escaping beetles. In the woods the insects show a distinct 
tendency to colonize, some apparently favorable growths of saplings 
being almost free from injury and others with practically every young 
tree showing fresh or ancient wounds. 
The burrows are most extensive a few inches above the surface of the 
ground but they extend also a short distance below. The larvae hatch 
and begin feeding about midsummer, and during the remainder of the 
first season they burrow in the outer wood, both above and below the 
oviposition scar in the bark. As cold weather approaches they work 
downward and pass the winter near the ground level. The second season 
they bore deeper into the wood and their galleries thereafter are in and 
around the heart. The burrows are so large that often a considerable 
portion of the trunk at the place of attack is involved (PI. 1, D). When 
4 or 5 inches above the ground, the burrow is enlarged at the upper end 
to form a pupal chamber. 
EIFE HISTORY 
BEETLE and EGG 
The beetle (PI. 2, C, D) is elongate, cylindrical, with a ground color of 
grayish brown. The body is covered throughout with short, yellowish, 
prostrate hairs, these hairs on the elytra varying locally in abundance, 
and by their density in places forming small, scattering, yellowish spots. 
The antenna is much longer than the body in the male and slightly 
longer than the body in the female. The female is somewhat larger and 
stouter than the male. Numerous reared specimens ranged from 20 
to 27 mm. in length and from 7 to 9 mm. in width. 
After attaining the adult stage the beetle remains in the pupal chamber 
from 5 to 7 days and then escapes through a circular hole gnawed through 
the bark at the upper end of the chamber (PI. 2, C). This hole is from 
7 to 9 mm. in diameter, and the smaller trees sometimes break at the 
hole as a result of the severing of so much of the wood (PI. 3, B). 
1 Accepted for publication Aug. n, 1923. 
s The investigations described in this paper were authorized by Dr. A. D. Hopkins, Forest Entomologist. 
Journal of Agricultural Research, 
Washington, D. C. 
ahm 
(313) 
Vol. XXVI, No. 7 
Nov. 17, 1933 
Key No. K-114 
