2G6 Report of the Department of Entomology of the 



connection the following extract from a letter from Mr. A. II. 

 Eastman, of Waterville, Oneida romity, who has observed this 

 insect closely, is of interest. " Tlie forest tent-caterpillar was 

 far more numerous this year than last in the forests and orch- 

 ards (about Waterville), not so many in the village. Last year 

 they fed almost entirely on the maple, this year they made no 

 distinction. All kinds of forest trees were attacked. If there 

 were apple trees near the forest the caterpillars seemed to 

 know it for I have seen tens of thousands of them traveling on 

 the fences, even wire fences, leading to the orchards." 



Migration in the caterpillar stage is not the only means of 

 local distribution. Probably the species spreads more rapidly 

 through the agency of the adults which are vigorous fliers. The 

 eggs also may be carried long distances upon young nursery 

 trees without injury. 



Life history. — The life history of this insect is given in Bulletin 

 159, pages 40-50, but a brief summary will be of value here to 

 again call attention to the principal points in its development 

 and their relations to methods of control. 



This insect, like very many others, passes through four well 

 defined stages: Egg, larva, pupa and adult. The eggs are laid 

 in bands about the twigs (Fig. 8), during the latter part of June 

 or early in July. They remain unhatched on the trees until the 

 following spring, when the young caterpillars appear. Toward 

 the last of May or early in June they reach full growth, stop 

 feeding and wander about to find a convenient place in which 

 to spin their cocoons. Some of them are spun upon leaves, 

 others in protected places on the trunk, in the grass, along 

 fences or upon out-buildings. The moths appear during the 

 latter part of June or early in July and the eggs are laid at 

 once, thus completing the life cycle. 



The larva, the pupa and the adult stages are shown in Plates 

 XXXIV to XXXVI as follows: Plate XXXIV, Figs. 1 and 2, 

 are from photographs from life showing dorsal and lateral views 

 of the same caterpillar, natural size. Plate XXXV, Fig. 1, is 

 from another view of the same twig taken the following day. 



