122 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



When the enemies of the g>'psy and brown-tail moths were 

 first introduced into New England they were subjected to care- 

 ful study by the men employed for this work. The factors con- 

 nected with their lives were carefully studied, including the 

 distance they would spread, naturally, after becoming well 

 established, and it was from the mass of information thus ac- 

 quired that the present plans of putting out new colonies were 

 devised. The entire area occupied by the gypsy and brown- 

 tail moths was divided into squares by drawing lines on the 

 map at right angles to one another, twelve and one-half miles 

 apart. Colonies of parasites are planted as near the intersec- 

 tions of these lines as possible. Three of the parasites are 

 colonized according to this plan — Apanteles lacteicolor and Me- 

 teorus versicolor colonies are planted at each intersection or 

 twelve and one-half miles apart, while Compsilura concinnata 

 colonies are planted at every second intersection or twenty-five 

 miles apart. Anastatus bifasciatus, the egg-parasite, is colo- 

 nized according to the plan given below under that insect, while 

 Calosoma sycophanta colonies are planted wherever the gypsy 

 moth is abundant enough to warrant such planting, provided 

 these colonies are at least two miles apart. These plans of lib- 

 erating the parasites have been carefully followed as they are 

 believed to be the ones most calculated to give the best results. 

 Letters are often received requesting the liberation of parasites 

 on the property of the writer and when such liberation does 

 not seriously interfere with the above mentioned plans an en- 

 deavor is made to accede to the request, but it is very easily 

 seen that it would be entirely impossible to grant all such re- 

 quests without interfering with our plans and, besides, the 

 amount of material at our command is entirely inadequate for 

 such extensive work. 



A brief history of the parasites tluis far introduced into 

 Maine follows: 



ANASTATUS BIFASCIATUS. 



This insect is one of the two parasites attacking the eggs of 

 the gypsy moth which have been successfully introduced into 

 the United States. Its eggs are deposited inside the gypsy eggs 

 and the maggots which hatch from these devour the entire con- 

 tents of the gypsy eggs. They pass the winter in the empty 



