196 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 
styraciflua), dog wood, ‘black gum,’ sour gum (/Vyssa sy/vatica), ash, elm 
black walnut, hickory, walnut, oak, black oak, post oak, white birch, 
gray birch, willow and poplar. 
Natural enemies. On account of this insect’s depredations being 
confined mostly to the woods, we must depend largely upon its natural 
enemies to keep it in check. In 1879, William Saunders records the 
destruction by a fungus disease of large numbers of larvae belonging to this 
species. Professor Forbes, state entomologist of Illinois, found a great 
many of these larvae dead in the southern part of that state. So fatal 
was the disease that from half to three fourths of the cocoons never 
yielded the imago. The next year, though enough larvae hatched to 
do considerable damage, many died when they were little over half an 
inch long and in some cases whole colonies were killel. Professor 
Forbes has identified this disease as muscardine, and though so deadly 
to the larvae, no attempt seems to have been made to cultivate and dis- 
seminate the fungus. 
Very few true parasites have been bred from this insect. Dr Riley 
records the rearing of Zimneria fugitiva Say and William Saunders states 
that Pimpla pedalis Cres. preys on this species. impla conguisttor 
Say was reared from several pupae collected in Delaware county last 
year, the proportion of the cocoons parasitized indicated that it was very 
valuable in controlling this caterpillar. The following dipterous parasites 
have been reported by Mr Coquillett (see citation): 2uphorocera clart- 
pennis Macq., Frontina frenchi Will., and Zachina mella Walk. A 
number of predaceous insects prey upon the caterpillars. One of great 
value is Calosoma scrutator Fabr., a species which Dr Riley characterized 
as most efficient. The beautiful and equally ferocious Calosoma calidum 
Fabr., is another valuable enemy, as stated by William Saunders. 
Mr Burgess (see citation) records that Calosoma wilcoxi LeC. fed readily 
in confinement upon the larvae of this insect. ‘Two predaceous hemip- 
terons, Podisus placidus Uhler and P. serieventris Uhler are also known 
to feed upon the caterpillars (Kirkland, see citation). A mite, ? Zrombidium 
sp., was discovered by William Saunders destroying many clusters of eggs. 
The vertebrate enemies of this species are presumably as numerous, if not 
more, than those of the apple-tree tent caterpillar. William Saunders cites 
an instance in which a black-billed cuckoo, Coccy gus erythropthalmus Wils., 
was brought to him with its crop filled with the caterpillars. It is quite 
probable that many other birds feed upon this insect, possibly more than 
on the apple-tree tent caterpillar, but no such records have come to 
my notice. The common toad has been recorded by Mr Kirkland as 
