INSECT PESTS OF OHIO SHADE AND FOREST TREES 271 



moths emerging in the spring or early summer. About 2 months 

 is required for larval development and in this latitude there is but 

 one seasonal brood. The eggs are deposited in masses of two or 

 three dozen upon the foliage of the host and the caterpillars are 

 semigregarious. 



Nature of work. — For the most part the injury by this species 

 is confined to the destruction of foliage by the caterpillars. Only 

 in exceptional instances is this sufficiently severe to merit the adop- 

 tion of ai'tificial control measures but occasionally such are ex- 

 pedient. In addition to the foregoing, the caterpillars are injurious 

 because of their stinging propensities as mentioned previously. 



Food plants. — The lo moth larva feeds upon a large number of 

 trees and shrubs and occasionally attacks cultivated annuals. The 

 following list embraces the plants more commonly attacked : maple, 

 black locust, oak, wild cherry, willows, poplars, beech, sassafras, 

 ash, birch, sycamore, hickory, judas tree and elm. Corn and cotton 

 also have been reported. 



Distribution. — This species occurs throughout the eastern 

 United States and Mexico. 



Natural enemies. — Campoplex fugitivis Say, Ophion macrurum 

 Linn, and Microgaster sp. are reported as parasitic on the lo moth. 



Control. — In some cases hand picking of the larvae is practica- 

 ble, while in others spraying with arsenicals is best. Usually, 

 however, artificial control measures are not necessary. 



THE MOUBNING CLOAK BUTTERFLY 



{Euvancssa antiopa Linn) 



Description. — The mourning cloak butterfly is also known com- 

 monly as the spiny elm caterpillar. Both common names are very 

 fitting for the stage each indicates. 



The adult is our earliest butterfly to appear in the spring. It 

 measures about 3 inches across its spread wings. In color it is very 

 dark maroon — almost black and the wings are bordered with a yel- 

 low though sometimes almost white band. Near this band will be 

 observed also a number of blue spots. The eggs are ribbed and are 

 deposited in bands on the twigs sometimes numbering as many as 

 300 to 400 in a single band. At first they are yellow, then red and 

 finally black. 



The caterpillar when full grown is about 2 inches in length. 

 It is black in color, but the black is so abundantly sprinkled with 

 small white dots that the insect has a decidedly grayish cast. A 

 row of red spots extends down the back and each body segment 

 bears several large branched spines. The spines, while formidable 



