REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 191 I 49 



Slingerland. The injury to fruit trees, however, appears to be 

 slight compared to the damage to ash and maple trees. 



Description. The moth (plate 17, figure 1) is ashy gray with 

 indistinct, rather variable markings. There is such a close re- 

 semblance existing between this species and X. laticinerea 

 Grote and X. g r o t e i that only an expert in the group can reliably 

 separate the three forms. 



The caterpillars (plate 17, figure 2) are stout, smooth, light 

 green, measuring from one to one and one-half inches in length 

 when full grown and resembling in a general way, aside from 

 color, some of our common cutworms. The head is pale yellow- 

 ish green; there is a rather broad, yellowish white or white 

 dorsal stripe along the body, a narrower, white subdorsal stripe, 

 a broken, faint lateral stripe of the same color and an irregular, 

 white stigmatal stripe, the upper margin of the last much broken 

 or indentated by the body color. The tubercles are rather large 

 and white and the skin is minutely spotted with the same color. 



Life history. The caterpillars are not usually observed till the 

 latter part of May or early June. They complete their growth 

 some time in June (the past season it was early in June), enter 

 the ground and transform to brown pupae an inch or more below 

 the surface. They remain in this stage till September when most 

 of the moths emerge. Though some hibernate as pupae, the 

 majority winter as adults. It has been stated that in the South 

 the eggs are deposited on the under surface of the leaves. No 

 record of the oviposition in the North has been made. 



Food habits. This insect evidently displays a marked prefer- 

 ence for soft maple, though it frequently defoliates adjacent wil- 

 low and maple. It is also well known as an apple tree insect. 

 Doctor Riley has recorded injuries by this species on peach, 

 oak galls, hickory leaves and those of other forest trees. It has 

 been stated that it feeds also on rose buds. The late Professor 

 Slingerland, in his bulletin, adds to the above, peas, plums, cur- 

 rants and quinces, and states that one grower found it necessary 

 to watch the buds on grafted pears in order to prevent their be- 

 ing destroyed. 



Natural enemies. Two Hymenopterous parasites, M e s o- 

 chorus agilis Cress, and Meteorus hyphantriae 

 Riley, and a Dipterous parasite, the red-tailed Tachina fly, W i n- 

 themia quadripustulata Fabr. have been reared from 

 this caterpillar. The last-named species is one of the most ef- 



