1914 ENTOMOLUGloAL SOCIETY. 17 



The Burdock Boker {Papaipema cataphracta) . Several reports were received 

 of a borer in the stems of tomato, and from specimens collected and received the 

 species was seen to be that which I have commonly called the Burdock Borer, 

 owing to this plant being the favourite food of the larvae in the Ottawa District. 

 The presence of this borer in tomato, potato, or other plants is usually detected by 

 the unhealthy appearance of the plants, the tops becoming withered and falling 

 down on one side. Cutting off the portion of the plants containing the cater- 

 pillar is the only remedy that can be suggested. 



Attacking Fruit Trees. 



Tent Caterpillars. Both species, the American Tent {Malacosoma 

 americana) and the Forest Tent {Malacosoma disstria) were present in large 

 numbers throughout the district. Apple trees were entirely stripped of foliage, 

 and in many orchards little fruit was gathered. At the Central Experimental 

 Farm where the trees had been regularly sprayed, good crops of apples were secured. 



Woolly-aphis-of-the-Apple {Schizoneura lanigera). This insect is con- 

 spicuously present in some orchards in the district at the present time, and requests 

 have been received for a remedy. Fortunately we have not received any report 

 of injury by the root-infesting form. 



The Codling Moth {Garpocapsa pomonella) was again present in in- 

 jurious numbers, as was also the Oyster-shell Scale (Lepidosaplies ulmi). In 

 last year's report I mentioned the occurrence 'at Ottawa of the adult of the Apple 

 Maggot (Rhagoletis pomonella). I am glad to state that no further evidence of 

 the presence of this destructive insect has been seen during the present year. 



Attacking Forest and Shade Trees. 



The chief destructive caterpillar of 1913 was the Forest Tent Caterpillar 

 (Malacosoma disstria). During the seasons of 1911, 1912, and 1913 the district 

 of Ottawa has been visited by remarkable outbreaks of the Forest Tent Caterpillar. 

 Miles of forest trees — poplar, birch, maple, etc. — have been stripped bare by the 

 hordes of caterpillars. The outbreak of 1913, however, was not so widespread as 

 that of 1912. As mentioned in my report presented at the last annual meeting of 

 the Society, trains on the Gatineau service of the Canadian Pacific Eailway were 

 stopped repeatedly owing to the large numbers of larvse present on the tracks. 

 This only happened once or twice during the present season. On a part of the 

 grounds of the Central Experimental Farm where several trees were entirely 

 denuded of foliage, cnnspicnous paths of silk were spun by the larv?e in moving 

 from tree to tree. The photograph reproduced herewith which illustrates remark- 

 ably well the quantity of silk spun by the caterpillars was taken by Mr. J. S. 

 Wallace, of the Dominion Observatory. At the time the photograph was taken 

 the larvae were about a quarter of an inch long. Large numbers of eggs had been 

 deposited on pine and even cedar trees close to an electric arc street light, and when 

 the young larvae hatched they soon left these trees and made the silken pathways, 

 chiefly towards the large mountain ash tree, standing in the background of the 

 illustration. (See p. 15.) 



In 1912 the first moths did not emerge until early in July and the vast 

 numbers not until the middle of the same month. In the present year (1913) 

 2 e.s. 



