The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1911-06-21
A Destructive Beetle
Has Made It's Appearance on
the Elm Trees Of This City,
and Great Danger Pre-
Normal School Campus Thrsatsnsd.

Prof. Smith, at The head Of the Science
Department Of the Normal school ha.
discovered very destructive beetle on
the elm leaf and claims it viii do untold
damage IN this section. if not conquered
He has the following TO say in regard
to it,
The Elm Leaf Beetle which has made
its FIRST appearance west Of the Appalac-
hian mountains this year is a pative Of
Southern Europe and the islands Of the
Mediterranean Sea. 1t now exists in large
numbers in France, italy. Austria and
South Germany.
In 1897 it was imported into the U. s.
at Baltimore, Maryland.
It has now spread from Providence
Ri TO Charlotte n. c.
1t has passed up several river valleys
on the Atlantic coast such as the Hudson
to Alabany but has not been seen west
of the mountains until this year to my
knowledge, although we have been look
ing for it to appear in Kentucky, Ohio,
Indiana and Tennessee.
It's only food plant is the elm, prefer
ably the English elm but our American
elm does about as well, in fact, there
seems to be very little choice among our
native elms.
1t was first noticed on June 9, 1911 on
a row of elms just in front of Sullivan
Han on the E. K. S. n. campus.
A few years ago it attacked the elms
on the campus of Cornell u University but
owing to their size which rendered them
difficult TO spray. they were all cut down
to prevent the spreading of the beetle.
Thousands upon thousands of dollars
have been spent in the East in an effort
to control this beetle but it seems very
difficult to keep down.
Our attention was first called to it by
the appearance of the leaves which had
all the green material eaten out and only
the gauzy framework left.
Its life history runs thus:-It passes
the winter in the adult state under the
bark Of trees, in barns in unoccupied
houses and various other places where
it can secure shelter.
As soon as the elm buds burst in the
spring the beetles mate and begin to eat
the young leaves.
This eating continues until the leaves
are nearly grown but during the latter
part of their feeding the females lay
very large number of eggs arranged in
two or three irregular rows on the under
side of the leaf. The eggs are orange
yellow, oval, oblong, tapering to rather
obtuse point.
The eggs hatch in week and the
larval begin at once to eat on the under
side of the leaves, gradually skelletoniz-
ing them. The larvae reach full growth |
which is little less than half an inch |
in fifteen or twenty days. They then
either crawl down the trunk to the
ground or drop from the branches direct
to the ground. When once on the ground |
they transform into naked light orange /
or yellow oolored pupae little more
than one fourth Of an inch long Then
in from six to ten days they pass into
the beetle or adult stage.
AT the present writing there is ring
Of larvae and pupae nearly an inch deep
around our trees. About one fourth of /
the laryal at the base Of the tree have
already been transformed into pupae
while thousands of others can be seen
on all the parts of the trunk crawling
toward the ground. Many of the larvae
get behind pieces of bark or in the crotch
Of large trees and there transform with
out going to the ground. The larvae are
nearly black when first Matched but
with each moult they become more
yellow and when mature the yellow
occurring as a broad dorsal
stripe and two lateral stripes. As to
in feeding habits the adult
beetles eat holes entirely thru the leaves
while the larvae only skelletonize them.
The egg laying season is quite long
aud all stages may be found on the same
tree at the same time.
There are two generations in one
season, the first in May and the second
in July and, because Of this fact, they
spread very rapidly, hence every effort
should be made by thelRentncky people
10 blot them out Of existence. l appeal
to every lover of the forest, to every
Kentuckian who loves the stately old
elm with its graceful branches and kind
" shade to come to its rescue. Let
everybody be on the lookout for the
beetles appearance. We do not know
how it reached our campus but suppose
it to have been shipped with goods from
the East to some Of our merchants.
To get rid of it, we spray our trees
with Paris green or arsinate Of lead.
This is very difficult task because of
the height of the trees The trees should
be thoroughly sprayed as soon as the
leaves start In the spring and then at
Of two weeks until five or six
sprays have been given.
We use one pound of Paris green or
three pounds of arsinate of lead to Fifty
gallons of water. It viii also help very
much to kill all the larvae and papas
found around the base of the tree.
To prevent their pupiating under the
bark, the larger trees should be scraped
carefully. As the beetles are good flyers
they will spread rapidly and should be
exterminated at all hazards.