GIPSY MOTH AND BEOWN-TAIL MOTH. 5 



The brown-tail moth was first found in the United States in Somer- 

 ville, Mass., during the summer of 1897 and was undoubtedly intro- 

 duced several seasons before that time on imported nursery stock. 

 Tlie work of preventing damage by this insect was undertaken by the 

 State of Massachusetts soon after the pest was discovered. This 

 species occurs in many sections of Europe and often is seriously 

 injurious. It spreads rapidly because the females are able to fly 

 long distances. Figure 1 shows the area in New England which is 

 now infested by the brown-tail moth. Suppressive measures by the 

 New England States and by the Federal Government have been 

 directed agamst this insect as well as against the gipsy moth. 



This bulletin describes briefly the seasonal history and habits 

 of these two species and suggests the best methods for their control, 

 determined and adopted as a result of many extensive experiments. 



THE GIPSY MOTH. 



SEASONAL HISTORY. 



(Fig. 2.) 



In the course of its life the gipsy moth passes through four stages — 

 namely, the egg, the larva or caterpillar, the pupa or resting stage, 

 and the adult or moth. 



The eggs. — The female gipsy moth deposits a cluster containmg 

 400 eggs or more, which she covers with buff -colored hairs. Most of 

 the egg clusters are laid during the month of July and hatch about 

 the time the leaves begin to appear the following spring. They are 

 deposited on the underside of branches of trees, on tree trunks, under 

 loose bark, or in cavities in the trunks or branches, and are sometimes 

 placed on stones or rubbish and in a variety of situations where they 

 are concealed from view. As the female moth does not fly, egg 

 clusters are seldom found far from the food plant upon which the 

 caterpillars developed. 



The larvx. — The newly-hatched larvae feed on the opening leaves, 

 makhig small perforations. They grow rapidly and become full fed 

 early in July. During this period they molt five or six times, and as 

 they increase in size a larger proportion of the foliage is eaten, so 

 that if the mfestation is severe, trees may be stripped of foliage 

 completely before the end of June. 



The pupx. — When full grown the caterpillars shed their skin and 

 transform to pupae, which arc chestnut brown in color and pro- 

 vided with tufts of yeUow hairs. They remaui in this dormant stage 

 for about 10 days, after which the adult insects emerge. 



The adults. — The male moth is dark brown, with black wing mark- 

 ings, and flies well. The female is white, with black markhigs on the 

 wings, and because of the weight of the abdomen does not fly. After 

 mating the females begin depositing eggs. 



