266 OHIO EXPERIMENT STATION: BULLETIN 332 



Nature of work. — Destruction of foliage by the feeding cater- 

 pillars is the only type of injury done by this species. Since the 

 larvae are never abundant, the actual harm done is negligible. 



Food plants. — Doctor Felt (28) states that fifty-two species 

 representing fifteen natural orders are recorded as hosts. Pack- 

 ard (32) records the following list of hosts: "Oak, button-wood, 

 basswood, maple, honey locust, wild cherry, sweet gum, sassafras, 

 elm, sycamore, beech, chestnut, elder, horn beam, birch, alder, white 

 pine, spruce, cedar, cypress and juniper." The writer can add to 

 the list Pinus echinata and red maple. 



Distribution. — The range of this insect in North America ex- 

 tends over most of the eastern half of the United States and into 

 parts of Mexico. 



Control. — Collecting the larvae or spraying with arsenicals are 

 practicable measures in case artificial control becomes necessary. 



THE CECROPIA MOTH 



(Samia cecropia Linn) 



Description. — The cecropia moth is our largest native silkworm 

 moth. It is most frequently noted in the chrysalid stage, the large 

 brown-gray over-wintering cocoons attracting one's attention to it. 

 Frequently these cocoons are as much as 31/2 inches long. The 

 moth has a wing expanse of between 6 and 7 inches and is marked 

 with various shades of red and tan. The larva is in the main blue 

 in color, with red, blue and yellow blunt tubercles along the back. 

 When full grown it frequently is as much as 4 inches in length. 

 (See Plate XLII, Fig. 1.) 



Life history. — The winter is passed by the pupa within the 

 shelter of the cocoon and the adults emerge in early summer and 

 the eggs are deposited. The caterpillars require the greater part 

 of the summer to mature, finally spinning their cocoons on the 

 branches of the host. Since the moths fiy at night, rarely does one 

 see the insect in this stage unless it is attracted to the light or 

 unless it is bred from the cocoon. 



Nature of work. — The feeding caterpillars have been reported 

 as injurious to nursery stock, and sometimes young trees are almost 

 defoliated. In the vicinity of Toledo, larger trees occasionally are 

 injured severely, the over- wintering cocoons occurring in great 

 abundance. As a rule, however, this species is not considered of 

 great economic importance. 



Food plants. — Doctor Felt states that fifty plants representing 

 twenty genera are subject to attack by this species, the more impor- 

 tant being "linden, maples, apple and pear, cherry, elm, birch, alder, 

 willow and poplar." 



