492 REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 



Family LASIOCAMPID^E. 



Stoutly built, rather shaggy moths of medium size, with pectinated 

 antennae, small retracted head, slender palpi and short tongue. The 

 wings are rather short and broad, very densely clothed, usually with 

 pale or darker median lines. The larvae are "lappet" or "tent" caterpil- 

 lars, and some of the latter are of economic importance. 



The lappet-caterpillars are so called because they are much flattened 

 and have along the sides fringed processes which, when at rest, are so 

 closely applied to the surface upon which they lie that the insect be- 

 comes practically invisible. None of these ever occur in harmful num- 

 bers. The "tent-caterpillars" live in great colonies, and sometimes de- 

 foliate entire trees or even large stretches of forest or orchard. In this 

 family the terms "Phyllodesma" and "Clisiocampa" used in the last 

 edition are replaced by "Epicnaptera" and "Malacosoma," respectively. 



ARTACE Wlk. 



A. punctistriga Wlk. Elizabeth V, VI, XI, 6 (Bz) ; X, 8 (Kp) ; Newark 

 (Soc); Freehold (U S Ag) ; Delair X, 6 (Dke); rare. The larva 

 feeds on oak. 



TOLYPE Hbn. 



T. velleda Stoll. Occurs throughout the State, rarely; adults in Sep- 

 tember and October. Mr. Grossbeck reports eggs at Plainfield V, 

 16, larvse V, 18-IX, 16, therefore growing very slowly. Pupge are 

 reported as early as VII, 15, 26 at Woodridge, by Wormsbacher. 

 Larva feeds on apple, pear, cherry, maple, oak, elm, willow, lilac, etc. 



T. laricis Fitch. Woodridge IX, 10 (Wrms) ; near New York (Bt) ; New- 

 ark, at light (Ang). The larva occurs rarely on pine, larch and 

 hemlock, and will probably be found throughout at least North 

 Jersey. 



MALACOSOMA Hbn. 



M. disstria Hbn. The "forest tent caterpillar," so called, although it 

 really makes not tent. Occurs throughout the State, rarely in 

 orchards, more commonly on forest trees; yet never abundant 

 enough, in my experience to cause trouble. More common in North 

 Jersey, and in New York State has been very destructive. The 

 moths come in June and July, lay their eggs in a belt around smalt 

 twigs, but do not cover them with a frothy varnish. 



M. americana Fabr. The common "tent caterpillar," which occurs on 

 orchard and some other trees in early spring. The eggs are laid 

 in July in a belt around small twigs, covered with a frothy varnish, 

 and so pass the winter. The larvae hatch as the buds open or even 

 before, and form a nest or web in a crotch or fork. This web in- 

 creases in size as the colony develops and the larvae feed at night 



