INJURING HICKORY LEAVES. 299 



44. The hickory aphis. 



Lachnus carxjce (Harris"). 



Order Hemiptera ; family Aphid^. 



Living in clusters on the under side of limbs of the pig-nut hickory early in July, 

 very large plant-lice one-quarter of an inch long, with no terminal stylet and verj- 

 short horny tubes ; body covered with a bluish-white bloom or down, with four rows 

 of little transverse black spots on the back ; top of thorax and veins of wings black, 

 as are also the shanks, feet, and antennje, while the thighs are reddish-brown. 

 (Harris.) 



AFFECTING THE LEAVES. 



45. The hickory slug caterpillar. 



Thecla calanus (Hiibner.) 



Order Lepidoptera ; family Papilionids;. 



The onisciform caterpillar of this butterfly feeds on the leaves of the 

 pig-hickory at Providence May 30 and later ; the larva is a pale green, 

 flattened, long, oval, cylindrical caterpillar, flat beneath ; the body is 

 rounded above and covered with short hairs. It changes to a delicate 

 small butterfly with tails on its hind wings. 



46. The hickory tussock moth. 



Halesidota earyce (Harris). 



Order Lepidoptera ; family Bombycid^. 



In July and August and early September eating the tender leaves at the ends of 

 the branches, snow-white caterpillars, over an inch long, with rows of round black 

 spots, and along the back eight black tufts of converging hairs and two black pen- 

 cils of longer hairs near each end of the body ; spinning in sheltered corners and 

 crevices ash-gray oval cocoons ; the moth appearing the following June. (Fitch.) 



In certain years this caterpillar may be rather numerous ; it is quite 

 social, feeding in companies and is a general feeder, and, while prefer- 

 ring the walnut, butternut, and sumach, is common on the elm, ash, and 

 linden, and Fitch says he has seen clusters of the caterpillars upon 

 the tamarack or larch ; he adds, what has been observed by ourselves, 

 that as they approach maturity they separate and stray off to other 

 trees, and may then be seen on rose bushes, on the apple, oak, locust, 

 etc., the same individual often remaining several days in one place. 

 It ranges from Maine to the Southern States. 



Tbe eggs were observed by Harris to be laid on the under side of a 

 linden leaf, forming a broad patch an inch in diameter. The moth 

 appears June 1. The cocoon is oblong oval, and formed simply of 

 hairs. 



Larva before first molt.— hength, 25^"^. The little black dorsal tufts very visible, 

 though small ; the other hairs thin, and permitting the skin and tubercles to be easily 

 seen. They were mistaken for those of Hyphantria textor. (Harris.) 



