JOURNAL 



OF 



ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 



OFFICIAL ORGAN AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGISTS 



Vol. 3 OCTOBER, 1910 No. 5 



THE NATURAL CONTROL OF HETEROCAMPA 

 GUTTIVITTAi 



By \Y. F. FisKE and A. F. Bubgess, Melrose Highlands, Mass. 



In the April issue of the Journal, page 16, appeared an article by 

 Mr. Burgess concerning the abundance of Calosoma frigidum in New 

 Hampshire during the previous summer. Data were given showing 

 that in areas where the beetle larvae had finished feeding 78 per cent, 

 of the pupse of Heterocampa guttivitta had been destroyed, and where 

 the larvae were about one-half grown 54 per cent, of the pupae of this 

 moth had been killed at the time of the last examination, August 21-25, 

 1909. In view of these facts it seemed desirable to continue the 

 observations this summer, in order to determine whether the work of 

 this beneficial beetle, or of any parasitic insects, might be bringing 

 about the natural control of Heterocampa. Accordingly,it was planned 

 to make several trips to the region visited last year in the vicinity of 

 North Conway. Mr. Harry S. Smith spent from July 10 to July 13 

 in this section making observations and collections on Mount Kear- 

 sarge, White Horse Cliff and various other ranges in the vicinity. 

 Localities were visited where the trees had been very slightly to 

 completely denuded by the caterpillars during the previous year, but 

 Mr. Smith was able to find only an occasional larva of Heterocampa 

 and very few specimens of Calosoma frigidum. 



An examination of the earth showed that a very large percentage 

 of the Heterocampa pupae had been eaten by Calosoma, and that only 

 a few moths had emerged in a normal manner. In spite of this, how- 

 ever, numerous eggs of the moth were found deposited singly on the 

 leaves of beech and other trees. Mr. Smith noticed that most of these 



» Occasional contribution from the Gj-psy Moth Parasite Laboratorj' Xo. VI. 



