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Show INSECT CUTS DOWN TREES New "est Is Causing Much Annoyance to Pacific Coast Fruit Growers. Graos Valley, Cal. The state of California Cali-fornia Is on the trail of the pleocoma, a largo beetle of the scarabaid family, and efforts will be made to check his propensity to chop down fruit trees. Agents of the state insectary are here collecting larvae of the pest for the purpose of breeding specimens and studying its life history. The pleocoma is found in new, stumpy ground. It works just below the surface, cutting down a good sized tree as neatly as i' could be done with a saw. The larva is more than two inches in length, ail large as a man's finger and is equipped with a powerful set of jaws. The state insectary at present knows of no means of controlling the pest. |