356 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



egg masses, wherever accessible, can be killed from August to 

 May by soaking them thoroughly with creosote mixture. The 

 creosote may be applied with a small swab or paint brush. 

 Creosote mixture may be purchased at agricultural warehouses 

 and seed stores at from 50 cents to $1.00 per gallon, depending 

 on the quantity." 



The caterpillar can be controlled by arsenical sprays (For- 

 mula 6). 



12. Tiger AIgths. 



I. HICKORY TIGER MOTH (Halisidota carycc). 



II. SPOTTED TIGER MOTH (Halisidota macnlata). 



These two closely related insects are so similar in habits and 

 are so commonly associated in Maine orchards that they may 

 be discussed together. 



The hickory tiger caterpillars are, when full grown, covered 

 with spreading tufts of white hairs and decorated down the 

 back with a row of 8 black tufts. The fourth and tenth seg- 

 ments each bear two long slender pencils of black hair. 



The caterpillar of the spotted tiger moth is yellow and black, 

 these colors occurring in widely variable proportions. Some- 

 times the whole body is covered with yellow hairs in which case 

 there is a row of 8 tufts of black along the back as wdth the 

 hickory tiger. Often, however, both ends of the caterpillar 

 are covered with black hairs with scattering pencils of white 

 and the yellow hairs are limited to the central portion of the 

 body. Both the hickory tiger and spotted tiger caterpillars have 

 jet black heads and legs. 



The young tiger caterpillars are only sparsely supplied with 

 hairs and bear very little resemblance to the fuzzy full grown 

 ones. They are gregarious when young and at first their pres- 

 ence may be detected by skeletonized leaves but later the colony 

 scatters and the caterpillars feed separately, eating the whole 

 leaf substance. If they are disturbed they curl up like a hedge- 

 hog and drop to the ground. The hairs are easily brushed from 

 the body of these caterpillars and cause, upon contact with sen- 

 sitive skin, an irritating itching sensation. 



