Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1905-10-26

the Georgia State Board Of Ento-
moJogy.)
Next to the Peach Borer, this is the
most troublesome boring insect at
lacking the peach in Georgia. Dur
| ing some seasons very little injury is
occasioned by this insect, but during
the season of 1905 reports came in to
the entomologist mainly during the
latter part of June and throughout
| the month of July, from which it was
evident that the bark beetle was more
than usually abundant in the peach
| orchards. Several of these reported
cases were Investigated by a member
of this department, with the result
| that we became convinced OF the UNI
usual numbers of this insect. While
| the actual damage to healthy trees
was not as great as many fruit grow
ers were led to suppose, the appear
ance of these beetles in great num-
bers caused considerable alarm, which
might easily have been avoided had
the true habits and life-history been
| known. Hence, a somewhat extensive
description is deemed advisable.
Hjstorcal-This insect is native
European species. In the United
States it was first noticed in 1877 in
New York, where it was attacking the
| peach. No doubt many other localities
| were infested at the same period
though not then discovered. 1t has
now been found in all the Eastern
| states and at least as far west as Kan
sas This insect has been known to
| iniure the following fruits: Plum,
cherry, apricot nectarine, apple, pear
and ounce as we'll as the peach.
Habits and Nature of Injury: Early
writer's usually neld to the opinion that
the fruit-tree bark-beetle would not at
tack perfectly healthy trees and some
there are who will still assert chat
the first writers were correct. Their
statements, however are not borne out
| by observations made in Georgia peach
| orchards, as many growers will bear
witness. f. H. Chittenden, writing in
| 1898. cites cases where this insect had
been known to attack apparently
| healthy trees, where they adjolned old
and abandoned orchards, and j. M. Sted-
| man states that he has seen peach
| trees, which were to all appearances
| perfectly healthy, seriously attacked
| by the fruit-tree bark-beetle. The
| writer has upon several occasions
found the bark-beetles boring into
sound. healthy trees. Two such OBJ
servations were made in Maryland in
| 1901-19O2, and In Georgia the same
| thing has been observed several times
The weight of evidence is conclu
| siye, however, that the bark-beetles
| first attack weakened and dying trees,
| attack to trees which are apparently
| In good health. AS appropriately stat
| ed by J. NJ. StGdman, 1T is very large
Iy matter of opinion when one pro
nounces a tree perfectly healthy tina
has become infested with this pest.
| but no doubt one should-regard tree
as healthy when there is absolutely
no reason to suspect anything differ
ent except that 1t has now become at
tackled by this insect."
Description-Tne adult truit-tr9f
bark beetle is a small cylindrical bee
tie, about one-eighth inch in length
and only aSout one-third as broad
| They are uniformly black in color
| except the tips of the elytra or wins
covers and a portion of the legs, which
are dull red. The young borer o;
grub-less than one-fourth inch III
lengths white, except for the brown
| head.
Winter Stage and Life Histery-The
winter is passed by this insect in the
larval or grub stage in their channels
| under the bark. In spring, about the
! middle or latter part of March, the
| parent beetles eat their way out from.
under the bark, making little holes
scarcely one-sixteenth of an inch III dl
| ameter These parent beetles soou
commence to bore into the trees, an!
begin the construction of an egg cham
Der which is nearly always formed in
| the direction of the long axis of tn,
limb, or nearly so. They seem TO pr
fer to enter at the base of the liul18
or at the forks made by the latera
spurs, and often at the base of bud
near the extremeties of the small
branches. The beetles are frequenU!
found, on badly infested trees. enter
ing the trunk nearly to the base CT tE.
trees. The egg chamber is forme
partly in the cambium layer and part.
ly in the wood directly beneath. Ia
egg chambers vary from one inch o
less to an inch and a half in length
and as it is formed minute side poca