186 



THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



is not very rapid and control is not so difficult as is the case with many 

 of the orchard caterpillars. The female must crawl up the tree trunk 

 in the early spring to oviposit and any methods adopted to prevent this 

 will reduce subsequent injury by the pest. Bands of adhesive paper 

 or cotton around the trunks have proven effective, while one of tree 

 tanglefoot, about two inches wide, has been satisfactory. Any of these 

 devices will cause the females to oviposit below the bands and the 

 young can be easily and readily killed with a soap wash. The bands 

 should be made about the first of March. 



In cases where the young caterpillars are already on the trees or 

 where the above methods have not kept them from the foliage, arsenical 

 sprays should be applied. 



Plowing and harrowing close to the trees in the fall during Sep- 

 tember or October will crush great numbers of the pupoe in the cocoons 

 and aid in reducing the next spring's broods. 



Natural Enemies. — The eggs are parasitized by calcid flies and 

 preyed upon by mites, while birds, ichneumonid parasites, tachina flies 

 and predaceous beetles prey upon the larvge. 



THE FALL CANKERWORM. 



Ahophila pometaria Harris (Family Geometridis). 

 (Figs.173, 174.) 



General Appearance. — In all of its stages this insect greatly resem- 

 bles the spring cankerworm {Paleacrita vernata Peck), but differs 

 in that the larvte have three pairs of legs on the posterior half of the 



Fig. 173. — The fall cankerworm ( Alsophiln pometaria Harris), 



a, adult male ; b, adult female ; c, side and d, top view of egg ; e, 



egg-mass ; f, larva or cankerworm. All natural size except c and d. 

 (After Riley.) 



body instead of two and the bodies are more distinctly striped. The 

 primary wings of the males also have an extra light band near the 

 middle. The eggs are shaped like small flower pots, being smaller at 

 the bottoms than at the tops, with distinct darker circles at the tops 

 (Fig. 173 c and d). They are deposited in regular clusters of from 

 fifty to two hundred, standing side by side in exposed places. 



