38 



THE REPORT OF THE 



No. 36 



As the last liberations had been made in 1916 it followed that this parasite 

 had successfully hibernated through at least two New Brunswick winters, and 

 that it could now be considered a thoroughly established member of our fauna. 



It has taken seven years to bring about the establishment of this parasite. 

 The comparatively low cost of introducing this and other parasites of the brown-tail 

 moth has been largely due to the splendid co-operation offered at all times by 

 the United States Bureau of Entomology, particularly through Dr. Howard and 

 Mr. Burgess who afforded the Entomological Branch every facility for carrying 

 on the work of collecting material in Massachusetts and other parts of New England. 



By way of conclusion it may be pointed out that Compsilura is now a national 

 asset of considerable importance. As a parasite of the brown-tail moth it has 

 already proven its worth in Massachusetts — especially in areas where the moth 

 is not very abundant. It is also a splendid parasite of the gipsy moth both in 

 Massachusetts and in Europe, and the cost of introduction would be much more 

 than justified if only as a measure of security against a possible invasion by that 

 despoiler of deciduous trees. In Massachusetts it has also proved to be one of the 

 most, if not the most, effective enemy of the white-marked tussock — an insect 

 now so conspicuous in many Canadian cities. That it is continuing this good work 

 is shown by the fact that our five recovered specimens were all bred from white- 

 marked tussock at Fredericton. 



DISTRIBUTION OP THE PARASITE COMPSILURA CONCINNATA IN CANADA 

 NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS LIBERATED 



SUMMARY. 



Compsilura concinnata is one of the most important enemies in Europe and 

 Massachusetts of the brown-tail and gipsy moths. 



Between 1912 and 1916, inclusive, about 30,000 of these flies were collected 

 in Massachusetts and liberated in the Canadian Brown-tail Moth area. 



The parasite was first recovered in Canada in 1918 — seven years after the 

 first colony liberated — and can now be considered as established in New Brunswick. 



