20 
of blue spots, followed by a double row of red spots, and the back 
is marked with yellow. The cocoon is formed among the leaves 
like that of the brown-tail and the moths appear from the middle 
of July to the middle of August. The male is bluish-yellow, ex- 
panding about an inch and a half, and the female (Fig. 17) is 
Fig. 17. Gypsy Moth, PortheUia dispar; female moths, laying eggs on bark. 
(Connecticut Experiment Station.) 
Natural size. 
nearly white, somewhat spotted and barred with black. Its wing 
expanse is about two and a fourth inches. The female is very slug- 
gish and so heavy that she can not fly ; but the male is an active 
flier. 
The oval ^gg masses, about one and a half inches long by 
three-fourths that in width, are laid in summer on the trunks of 
trees, on fences, on the sides of houses, and in various other places. 
Large holes in old trees are often found filled with them. The 
caterpillars feed principally at night, especially after they reach 
some size, and they seek to hide during the day, often coming down 
upon the larger limbs and trunk of the infested tree in search of 
hiding places. This habit has led to the use of bands of burlap 
tied around the trunks of trees, under which the caterpillars may 
rest during the day and where they can be easily destroyed by hand. 
The probabilities of widespread destruction to forest, park, and 
orchard properties by these insects are greatly reduced by the truly 
