39i6 Report of the Department of Entomology of the 



had bred, several specimens of the moths were later sent to Dr. 

 Paul Marchal of Paris, France, who has devoted considerable study 

 to these insects and his report was a confirmation of our identification. 



IMPORTATIONS FROM 1910 TO 1912. 



During the spring of 1910 the local importations of foreign seed- 

 lings were very large. The same conditions prevailed with regard 

 to the brown-tail moth, although the winter nests of this species 

 were much less numerous than during the previous year. All 

 stocks were carefully examined for evidences of other injurious 

 insects and the usual precautionary measures were taken as before 

 under the direction of the Division of Nursery Inspection. The 

 local nurseries were carefully watched during June for the appear- 

 ance of Ypono7neuta caterpillars, and on the 24th of this month 

 colonies of the insects were found on apple seedlings. Mr. G. G. 

 Atwood, Chief of the Division of Nursery Inspection, was promptly 

 notified of the discovery and instructions were at once sent to the 

 inspectors in the field to make an immediate and careful canvass 

 of all plantings of nursery stock set out during 1909 and 1910. 

 During the following two weeks infestations were discovered in 

 other plantings about Geneva and in nurseries about Orleans, 

 Newark, Hilton, Schoharie, Blauvelt and Dansville; and from these, 

 eight hundred and seventy-three colonies of caterpillars were 

 obtained. 



The plantings of foreign seedlings during 1911 were noticeably 

 much more free of Y-ponomeuta nests than during the two preceding 

 years. On June 8 a single nest of about fifty caterpillars was 

 obtained at Lockport, and during the latter part of this month and 

 early July a few infested plants were found about Geneva, Penfield, 

 Chili, Johnstown and Schoharie. At the last-named locality empty 

 cocoons of the insect were discovered which indicated that the 

 caterpillars had pupated and the moths had made their emergence. 



During 1912 the nests and caterpillars obtained were less in 

 number than in any year since our attention has been called to the 

 occurrence of these pests in this State. Infested seedlings were 

 first detected at Seneca and later colonies of the insects were found 

 in nursery plantings about Geneva and Rochester. 



The following talkie showing the collections of colonies of the 

 ermine moths in this State during these years is based on data 

 which was kindly furnished by Mr. G. G. Atwood through the 

 courtesy of Calvin J. Huson, Commissioner of Agriculture of the 

 State of New York. 



