350 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



ally formed upon the bark or in the angles of twigs. Often a 

 leaf is attached to the mass. 



In about two weeks the adult insects emerge from the co- 

 coons. The males are winged, the white-marked tussock having 

 gray wings which expand nearly one and one-half inches and 

 the antique tussock having smaller brown wings. The female 

 moths of these two species are not readily distinguishable. They 

 never acquire wings and their distended bodies are practically 

 little more than animated sacs of eggs. The females being un- 

 able to fly and their bodies being too heavy for their slender 

 legs to drag about, cling to the cocoons from which they emerge 

 and soon after mating deposit about 300 eggs in a mass upon 

 the cocoon. 



REMEDIAL MEASURES. 



The white egg masses deposited on the cocoons remain on 

 the trees all winter. These are readily seen and can be removed 

 and burned. Cocoons of the tussock not covered with eggs 

 should not be disturbed as they are either the empty cocoons of 

 males or cocoons containing parasites. If the cocoons are empty 

 they can do no harm and if they contain parasites, these insect 

 enemies of the tussock should be allowed to develop. 



The fact that the females cannot fly makes this pest easily 

 controlled locally, for the orchardist need not especially fear his 

 neighbor's infested trees. 



The caterpillars are susceptible to arsenical sprays (Formula 

 6) and this means of combating them is sometimes necessary 

 where the winter collecting has been neglected or when the tus- 

 socks appear in destructive numbers upon shade trees. 



9. Forest Tent Caterpillar. 



{Malacosoma disstria.) 



The eggs of this insect are deposited in a belt encircling a 

 small twig, about 200 in each mass. These egg masses resemble 

 those of the orchard tent caterpillar, except that they are more 

 nearly square at the ends. A glistening varnish-like protective 

 substance is deposited with the eggs which renders the mass 

 more readily seen in the sun. 



