Education Department Bulletin 



Published fortnightly by the University of the State of New York 



Entered as second-class matter June 24, 1908, at the Post Office at Albany, N. Y., under 



the act of July 16, 1804 



No. 511 ALBANY, N. Y. January 15, 191 2 



New York State Museum 



John M. Clarke, Director 

 Ephraim Porter Felt, State Entomologist 



Museum Bulletin 156 



ELM LEAF BEETLE AND WHITE-MARKED TUSSOCK 



MOTH 



BY 



EPHRAIM PORTER FELT D.'JSc. 



The elm leaf beetle and the white-marked tussock moth must 

 be ranked among the most important leaf feeders affecting the 

 shade trees of cities and villages in New York State. They 

 have been responsible for widespread injury to thousands of 

 trees in recent years, while earlier experience shows that we 

 must reckon with these species if we would preserve the 

 beauty of our trees. Experience in the past has demonstrated 

 beyond all question the practicability of checking both of these leaf 

 feeders by spraying, an operation which is not very costly if 

 modern apparatus be employed. We are forced to conclude 

 therefore that extensive injury by either of these pests must be 

 attributed to indifference or culpable neglect rather than in- 

 ability, despite the fact that many appear very eager to take up 

 the warfare at a time when the ravages are most apparent and 

 unfortunately when repressive measures can be employed to 

 very little advantage. 



There is a tendency on the part of many private individuals 

 to attribute their woes to the neglect of adjacent shade trees on 

 public streets, and conversely municipal authorities are prone to 

 state that injury to public trees is due to the pests swarming 

 thereto from neglected private grounds. The facts of the case 

 are that both of these insects are very local in habit. This is a 



