340 AGRICULTURE OI' MAINK- 



II. FALL CANKER-WORM. 



(Alsophila pometaria.) 



The fall canker-worm so closely resembles the other species 

 as to be frequently mistaken for it. For all practical purposes 

 they may be considered together, but the fall canker-worm is 

 more distinctively a northern insect. As in the other species, 

 the female moth is wingless, but in this species she lacks the 

 hairiness which characterizes the other. The male moth has 

 two light bands across the front wings instead of the single one 

 of the preceding, and the rear wings are slightly shaded. The 

 larvae of this species also, besides having three pairs of legs 

 under the hind end of the body, as shown in figure 6, have a 

 broad, dark stripe along the back, as opposed to the narrow 

 markings of the other species. The eggs, which are slightly 

 larger than in the previous species, somewhat resemble small 

 flower pots and are attached to the bark, in exposed situations, 

 in masses of from 60 to 200, placed side by side as seen in figure 

 6, e. The eggs highly magnified, are shown in figure 6 a. 



Fig. 6. a, single egg, much en- 

 larged ; e, egg mass ; f, larva 

 showing the three pairs of pos- 

 terior legs. (After Riley). 



The eggs are deposited in fall or early winter (sometimes in 

 mild winters as late as March). They hatch about the same 

 time as those of the other species and the larvae act in a similar 

 manner, entering the ground about the same time. Instead of 

 forming a cell lined with silk, however, this species spins a 

 tough cocoon, and the moths come forth and begin laying eggs 

 in October and November. 



HOW TO FIGHT CANKER-WORMS. 



One of the surest preventive measures is to place a band of 

 tarred paper about the tree in March and smear it wnth tree 

 tanglefoot, thus preventing the ascent of the female moths and 

 the deposit of eggs. In case the bark is very rough, it should 



