128 FRUir INSECTS 



and branched like antlers, whence the name antlered maple 

 caterpillar, sometimes given to this species. At first they 

 merely skeletonize the leaves, but after the first molt, feed at 

 the edge of the leaf, eating out portions between the larger 

 veins. The full-grown caterpillar is about IJ inches in length, 

 and varies greatly in coloration. They are usually pale green 

 and have a conspicuous saddle-shaped mark on the third to 

 the fourth abdominal segments. The tip of the abdomen 

 tapers to a point and is usually held in an elevated position. 

 The caterpillars do not cling tightly to the branches and may 

 be readily shaken to the ground. They become full-grown 

 in about five weeks, having molted four times ; they then 

 descend to the ground, where, just below the surface or under 

 the leaf mold, they construct a slight cocoon of silk, within 

 which they change to pupae, remaining in this condition until 

 the following spring. There is but one brood annually in Maine. 



Control. 



In the orchard the saddled prominent may be easily destroyed 

 by spraying the trees with arsenate of lead, 4 pounds in 100 

 gallons of water, soon after the eggs hatch. In case the or- 

 chard adjoins woodland or other untreated trees, it may be 

 found advisable to band the trunks with some sticky material 

 like " tree tanglefoot " to prevent the ascent of wandering 



caterpillars. 



References 



Maine Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 161. 1908. 



N. H. Agr. Exp. Sta. 19th & 20th Repts., pp. 514-531. 1908. 



The Gipsy Moth 



Porthetria dispar Linnaeus 



The gipsy moth is a native of Europe, Asia and northern 

 Africa, where it has long been recognized as a serious enemy of 

 orchard and forest trees. There its outbreaks are periodic 



