The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1874-07-16
a Destructive Insect.

Prof. :. +. Kelsey, forester of the
Atchi>on' Topeka and Santa Fe rail
road. left at the Farmer Office stick
of ash timber about four inches in di
amcter and about three feet long, the
bark Of which was perforated by no
less than ten holes. made by some large
borer. which afterwards proved TO be
The larva of the locust carpenter moth
(NgittcS IO6iai0, rcck). an Insect that
has for lon. time been well known as
destroying the black locust, which has
also been found to attack oaks and. ac-
cording 10 Prof Riley, the crabapplc.
We have never seen amy notice of this
insect attacking ash trees. Mr.. KEEL
scy. in Il letter 10 Us Oh the subject.
SAYS the ash trees about Pawucc Fork,
few miles west of Larned. are very
badly cut TO pieces by this borcr, and
that the STICK sent Us was about 4 fair
sample OF the trees in that neighbor-
hood.
'iii 'ii''N ''N'7 " me- ~ ~ '''i
mense amount of damage this insect is
capable of doing TO the timber where
ii is abundant, Is seems to be the case
in the above named locality.
The lalNa or bCrcr grows 10 be about
thrce inches in length and nearly one
half an inch in width. The color Of
the specimens found in the ash stick
was a dciicatec rose. with narrow yell
lowi>h stripe along The back. Ii be-
comes ycllowish white before paupaiz-
ing. It is liattcncd below, rounded
above. and with the body rather broad
est antcriorly. There are a few pur-
plish br0wn spots bearing b.istlcs Oh
each segment Tho head is narrower
than the body, and of shining dark
brown color. and there is a patch of
this color on the top of the first seq
meat. The larva has eight pairs OF
legs, the three anterior pairs being
sharp and horny, the others being the
iles!'y false legs
DIR. Fitch thinks that the layra arc
three years in obtaining their growth,
after which they spin silkcn cocoon
in the entrance of the hole and pass
about two weeks in the pupa state
and issue rs moths in the latter part of
June or the first of July. The male
moth is much smaller than the female
and is of dark notified gray color,
with the hind half of the hind wings
oclre yellow. The female is about
twice as large rs the male. is of a
lighter shade OF color and has no yell
low about her.
DR.. Fitch SAYS that n female of this
species which has in his possession de-
posted upwards of three hundred eggs
in few hours after its capture.
Ii is nocturnal in its habits and re-
ma.1s at rest during the day, clingins
to tree trunks. where its similarity in
color TO the bark renders II difficult 10
detect.
lii indeed fortunate that this species
is so uncommon in most localities. tor
with the great fccumdity of the female
and the immense des,ructivcncss of the
lavra. i; would. were not natural checks
operating against it, completely ex-
terminate the various trees II intcsts.
The only remedy proposed is TO APP
ply soft soap in the fore part of June
10 the bodies of the trees which it is
desired TO protect. When the entrance
of the whole is discovered TO be closed
by silNen cover mixed with chips.
etc. il would be well. no doubt, 10
probe the hole with a sharp wire, thus
killing the larra, a IL viii then usu-
ally be found preparing TO enter, or
will already have entered the pupa
state, which il docs within two or
three inches of the mouth OF the hole.
Ii is quite distinct from the common
borer of the locust (clytuS rO5iniae).
which is beetle in its perfect state,
and not n moth.-EdgsuS Farmer.