REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Bureau of Entomology, 

 Washington, D. C, September 18, 1915. 



Sir: I submit herewith a report of the work of the Bureau of 

 Entomology for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1915. 



L. O. Howard, 



Entomologist and Chief of Bureau. 

 Hon. D. F. Houston, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



WORK ON THE GIPSY MOTH AND BROWN-TAH. MOTH. 



The work on the gipsy and brown-tail moths was continued under 

 the direction of Mr. A. F. Burgess. Many improvements were made 

 during the year and the work is bem^ conducted more effectively 

 than ever before. Several of the experimental projects were practi- 

 cally completed and reports upon them have been or are being pre- 

 pared. The colonization of introduced parasites has been carried 

 on extensively, so that two of the species are now known to occur 

 over most of the infested area. 



States relations and cooperation. — Effective cooperation with 

 the States mfested with these insects was continued and the work 

 further systematized durmg the past year. The authorities in the 

 infested States are encouraged to carry on as much work as possible 

 in order to enable the bureau to concentrate its efforts on the pre- 

 vention of spread of these insects. In general the field work of the 

 bureau is carried on exclusively along the outer border of mfestation 

 in order to retard the spread as much as possible. During the past 

 year several State laws were improved and strengthened and the 

 work more effectively organized. This is particularly true of Con- 

 necticut, Vermont, and Rhode Island. 



Progress of the gipsy-moth work in New England. — Exten- 

 sive scouting work was carried on in 223 towns in New England, aU 

 of which are located around the outside border of gipsy-moth infes- 

 tation. As a result of the work this insect was found in 4 towns in 

 Maine, 23 m New Hampshire, 3 in Vermont, 10 in Massachusetts, 

 and 10 in Connecticut, making a total of 50 towns from which the 

 insect had not been previously reported. In addition to this scouting 

 work, which consisted largely of an examination of aU the roadsides, 

 residential sections, and orchards, a large amomit of woodland scout- 

 ing was carried on, 43,840 acres havmg been examined. The egg 

 clusters m colonies in the outside towns from Lake Winnipesaukee 



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