The Palmek-A\^okm. 97 



country is retained for tlie insect."'^ Its wliole name — Ypsolophus ' 



jpometellus — literally translated means the " tufted- crowned orchard 



moth." 



Its Distribution axu Where Injurious. 



The insect is known to occur only in the United States, where it 

 apparently has a wide distribution. It is, at times, very common in 

 New Jersey, New York, and throughout the New England States; 

 and it has been recorded from Ohio (common), Kentucky, Missouri, 

 Mississippi, Texas, Yirginia and Georgia (?). 



Apparently only in Xew York and the New England States have 

 the caterpillars done noticeable injury. 



Its " IT PS " and " Downs " and Extent of Its Ravages. 



We recall no other injurious insect which has suddenly appeared 

 over so large an area, then doing much injury for only a yeai* or 

 two, and as suddenly ceasing to attract attention, and finally remain- 

 ing in obscurity for half a century at a time. As stated in the 

 introductory paragraph, many of our injurious insects have these 

 " ups " and " downs," orj^eriods of increase and decrease in nundjers 

 and extent of their ravages. Usually, however, the injurious ])eriod 

 extends over several years and not many years elapse before there 

 is a recurrence of the injuries. But the palmer-worm presents a 

 remarkable instance of an insect having thus far done noticeable 

 iniurv only about one year in everv fiftv ! 



Historical notes on previous outbreaks. — Apparently the 

 first time this insect ever attracted attention was in 1T91.+ That 



* See foot-note on ])age 95 and the synononi}' on page 111 for a technical dis- 

 cussion of its scientific name. 



fin his " Travels into North America " (Trans, by Forster, Vol. II., p. 7) Peter 

 Kalni describes in 1748 the serious ravages of caterpillars in the forests. Fitch 

 quotes Kalm's account and states that the insects were " most probably '' palmer- 

 worms. After critically studying Kalm's description, liowever, we believe that 

 it is more than probable that the caterpillars were not palmer- worms, but were 

 either tent-caterpillars or some other similar large insect. 



Fitch's next statement that " if our western prairies were ever covered with 

 wood it is most probable by this insect that they were first made naked " is too 

 great a stretch of the imagination, and it seems quite unlike Dr. Fitch's usual 

 conservative deductions or theories. 



