REPORT OF FIELD AGENT, GYPSY MOTH WORK. 121 



twenty-five eggs in the bodies of as many brown-tail moth 

 caterpillars. The maggots resulting from these eggs feed on 

 the vitals of the caterpillar until they enter the pupal stage and 

 then again emerge as adult flies and repeat the process. It is 

 the flies that sting the caterpillars and the life of these flies is 

 about thirty days, during which time the work of depositing eggs 

 under the skin of the caterpillar goes on. When this life work 

 is finished the fly dies and the work of regeneration and resur- 

 rection goes on through eggs resting in the bodies of the cater- 

 pillars which have been stung. This is the life cycle of the 

 brown-tail moth parasites. 



The gypsy moth parasite is known as the Calosoma sycophanta 

 and is a beautiful green and gold colored beetle about an inch 

 in length. This beetle is a powerful fellow and feeds through 

 the lava and pupa stages of the gypsy moth and its hunt for 

 them is unceasing. The parasite has long legs and can travel 

 very fast. When it finds a gypsy it seizes it and rips open its 

 vitals in a merciless manner, thus letting out the viscera or 

 liquids of the body upon which it feeds. It is very predaceous 

 in its habits and when no gypsies are to be found it will attack 

 any insect in sight. One of these beetles in the laboratory has 

 a record of killing one hundred and sixty-eight gy^psy cater- 

 pillars in a day, and on the average a pair of beetles will destroy 

 6,000 caterpillars in a season. 



This g>'psy parasite has a life cycle which extends over two 

 years, and like the June bug lays its eggs in the ground. It 

 lives in the ground through the winter and the following spring 

 emerges to begin its work of destruction. It is a great traveler 

 and spreads out over a wide territory in search of food. 



The following table shows the kind and location of parasite 

 colonies in the state : 



Town. Colony Liberated. 



Baldwin Calosoma sycophanta 



Compsilura concinnata 

 Brunswick Calosoma sycophanta 



Apanteles lacteicolor 

 Bar Harbor Compsilura concinnata 



Apanteles lacteicolor 

 Belfast Apanteles lacteicolor 



