New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 367 



termed by the settlers " caterpillar years." Again in 1658, ac- 

 cording to Flint, 4 they were unusually abundant in Massachusetts. 



The early writers on economic entomology of the present cen- 

 tury also frequently refer to this insect as a serious pest. "W. 

 Gaylord, 5 writing in 1843, considered it at that time one of the 

 most important insects of the orchard. In 1855 the caterpillars 

 were again unusually numerous. Fitch states that he had not 

 known them to be as abundant for the previous 25 years. 



There appears to be no evidence that the caterpillars were again 

 unusually numerous over a very wide area until 1883. In refer- 

 ring to this outbreak Dr. Lintner 6 states: " There is no record of 

 its ever having appeared before in such enormous numbers over 

 as extended a territory." The year following, according to the 

 same author, the caterpillars were somewhat less abundant and 

 until the past 3 or 4 years they appear to have been on the 

 decrease. During the past 2 years they have again appeared 

 in unusual numbers. 



The species is now widely distributed throughout the United 

 States and Canada. It is especially abundant throughout the 

 Eastern and Central States. It also occurs in abundance in the 

 South and is common in the Western States. It is probably safe 

 to say that the insect is found in varying abundance practically 

 wherever apples are grown in North America. 



MEANS OF DISTRIBUTION". 



According to some of the earlier entomologists, notably Fitch, 7 

 the apple tree tent caterpillar has been widely distributed on 

 nursery stock by means of the egg masses on the young trees. 

 Fortunately more pains is now taken to produce stock entirely 

 free from insect pests of all kinds so that it is not probable that an 

 insect so conspicuous as this in all its stages of development is 



4 Agriculture of Mass., 2d Rpt., p. 33; as quoted by Fitch, Rpts., 1 and 2, 

 p. 185. 



5 Trans. N. Y. State Agrl. Soc, 1843, p. 152. 



6 Fifth Report, p. 152. 



7 Noxious Insects of New York, Rpts. 1 and 2, pp. 197-198. 



