200 ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 



Control.— Spra^y with arsenate of lead; hand-pick or burn caterpillars 

 with rag torch. 



LYMANTRIID^ (TUSSOCK MOTHS) 



Gypsy Moth {Porthetria dispar Linn.).— A European insect intro- 

 duced into the U. S. (Mass.) about 1869, now found in all the New 



England States. The larva feeds on a very large variety of plants 



forest, orchard and shade trees, especially oak, willow and apple, 

 shrubs and even herbaceous plants. Conifers immune (Fig. 131). 



Adult.— MsXe brownish-yellow, slender, with feathered antenna; 

 fore wings marked with zigzag darker lines; wing expanse i}^ inches; 

 an active flier. Female white with zigzag dark lines and with slender 

 black antennae; body so heavy as to prevent flight. 



-E^g^.— Laid in July-August in irregular oval spongy masses of 

 400-500 in crevices and on convenient objects, and covered with tan 

 colored hairs; hatching about May ist following. 



Larva. — A dark brown hairy caterpillar 2-3 inches long; 2 rows of 

 red spots and 2 rows of blue spots along the back with a dim yellowish 

 stripe between; body clothed with long black hairs. Full grown about 

 July I St. 



Pupa. — Cocoon of silk loosely formed among the leaves; pupa con- 

 ical and dark brown; i inch long. Duration 7-17 days. 



Parasites. — The following have been introduced: Anastatus bifas- 

 ciatus and Schedius kuvance — chalcid egg parasites; Compsilura con- 

 cinnata and Blepharipa scutulata on the caterpillar; Monodontomerus 

 (Breus, a chalcid pupa parasite; and Calosoma sycophanta. 



Control— Tved^t the egg clusters with creosote; band the trees with 

 burlap, etc. and spray; parasites. 



Brown Tail Moth (Enproctis chrysorrhcBa Linn.). — Larva destruc- 

 tive to orchard, shade and forest trees. Conifers immune. Probably 

 introduced from Holland to Mass. about 1893 (Fig. 132). 



Adult. — A white moth, except that the abdomen is tinged with 

 brown and tipped with a tuft of brown hairs, most conspicuous in the 

 female. Both sexes are strong fliers and active at night in July. 



E-ggs. — In brownish clusters of 150-300 on the leaves on the tips of 

 the branches. Usually brown hairs are mixed with the egg mass. 

 Eggs hatched by August 15th. 



