ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO. 



23 



of July, and the eggs are then laid in the upper surface of the leaves, the larvpe, 

 when hatched, emerging on the under surface, where they rest coiled Up out of sight. 

 During the earlier stages the larva is covered with a white bloom, or efflorescence, which 

 is very easily removed. The head is black, and the feet and under portions yellow. 

 When the last moult takes place the appearance of the larva is greatly changed ; it 

 becomes of a bright yellow with rows of black spots along the back and sides, and is no 

 longer covered by the white powdery excretion. Pupation takes place in burrows bored 

 in dead branches, pithy stems, decaying wood, etc., a habit which in some localities is 

 evidently a preservative one, as the land may be flooded for a considerable time in the 

 spring, and if pupation took place in the ground many of the insects would probably 

 perish. The native species of Cornel upon which I have observed them is Cornus 

 stolinifera, but at the Experimental Farm they have this year been abundant enough 

 upon C. sibirica to be quite injurious. Mr. Fletcher, who has been rearing a number of 

 larvae from these shrubs informs me that two species seem to be indicated, one being 

 much larger and somewhat different in markings from the other, but until the flies emerge 

 next season this cannot be decided. Under date of 7th Aug., Miss Rye, of Niagara, writes 

 to Mr. Fletcher that the previous week these larv^B had appeared upon her ornamental 

 dogwood trees in immense numbers and had greatly injured them. Upon ornamental 

 plants, however, the depredations of this insect may be easily checked by spraying with 

 the usual Paris green solution. 



The Fall Canker "Worm, {Aniaopteryx pometaria, Harris), 



The next insect which I desire to mention is by no means a recent intruder, but one 

 which has been frequently brought to the notice of our members and the public at large. 

 I refer to that very destructive insect the Canker Worm, {Anisopteryx p)ometaria). 

 This species, and the very similar Paleacrita vernata, Peck, were clearly described for 

 us many years ago by the then President of the Society, Prof. Saunders. (Ann. Rept. 

 VI., p. '26, 1875), and were illustrated by the beautiful figures of Prof. Eiley. 



0' «-'""*5'^ 

 Fig. 11. 

 Fig. 11, represents the Fall Canker Worm 

 A. pometaria ; a, the wit ged male ; 6, the 

 wingless female ; c, a portion of an antenna 

 magnified ; d, segment of larva, magnified, 



Fig. 12. 

 Fig 12, the Spring Canker Worm (P. vernata); 

 a, the winged male ; h, the wingless female ; 

 c, a portion of an antenna magnified ; d, seg 

 ment of larva, highly magnified. 



It is nearly a century since Prof. Peck, one of the earliest of American entomolo- 

 gists, penned his " Natural History of the Canker Worm," which even then was making 

 itself known as a depredator in the New England orchards. Our two species of moths 

 resemble each other so very closely, both in the larval and adult stages, that the trained 

 enton ologist alone can readily distinguish them. This, however, is not a matter of very 

 great importance trom the economic standpoint, as the habits of both species are identi- 

 cally the same, and the same course of treatment will destroy the one or the other. 



The species are generally distinguished as the spring and autumn Canker Worms, 

 but the larvM of both species appear in early summer and have the same pernicious 

 habits of reaping where they have not .sowed. These larvie are pale greenish " ioopers " 

 when young, becoming more striped and darker with succe.ssive moults. Voracious eaters, 

 they rapidly defoliate the trees upon which they feed, and when fully grown they drop, 

 by silken threads, to the ground, to burrow a few inches below the surface and construct 

 a cell in which to pupate, the moths a[)pearing partly in the autumn and partly in the 

 spring. 



In his address last year Dr. Bethune made mention of the abundance of Canker 

 Worms at several places in Canada, one of these being Ottawa. Having watched the 



