REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST IGII J 



brought there with trees and shrubs purchased a few years ago 

 in eastern Massachusetts. A small colony was discovered later at 

 Great Barrington, Mass. Nothing but the closest inspection 

 and the adoption of most rigid precautions will prevent the early 

 establishment of this pest in New York State. Judged solely 

 from an economic standpoint, there can be no question as to the 

 advisability of keeping this insect out of the State as long as 

 possible. We have assembled during the year a series of prepara- 

 tions designed to facilitate the recognition of this pest in any stage. 

 Several of these have been reproduced as photomicrographs and 

 will be of great service in identifying this species. 



The Entomologist visited the territory in eastern Massachu- 

 setts infested by this insect and found the residential area, as a 

 whole, in excellent condition though there were extensive tracts 

 of forest land badly infested. The ultimate spread of this 

 pest is inevitable. The Federal authorities have accomplished 

 much in retarding its dissemination by keeping the roadside 

 trees of the principal thoroughfares free of caterpillars. Marked 

 progress is being made in the work of introducing parasites and 

 natural enemies which it is expected will shortly prove of mate- 

 rial service in checking this destructive insect. The latter is no 

 justification for not adopting every reasonable measure for pre- 

 venting the spread of this dangerous enemy. The state of 

 Connecticut has made excellent progress in handling its gipsy 

 moth problem. This insect is more fully considered below. 



Brown-tail moth. This species, while not so destructive as the 

 gipsy moth, has become established in North Adams, Mass. 

 and smaller infestations occur at Adams and Williamstown, Mass. 

 Since both sexes of the moth fly readily, it will probably not be 

 long before this pest appears somewhere in New York State. 

 The winter nests are so characteristic that there should be little 

 difficulty in identifying the insect and at the outset preventing 

 excessive multiplication. Careful inspection of nursery stock 

 should prove a most effective barrier to its being introduced with 

 trees and shrubs. The observations above relating to the para- 

 sites of the gipsy moth apply equally to the natural enemies of 

 the brown-tail moth. 



Shade tree pests. The Entomologist investigated conditions 

 in a number of communities and found exceptionally severe 

 and widespread injury by the elm leaf beetle. The defoliation 

 was so general, in connection with the work of previous vears 



