1908 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



1001 



of the gipsy moth. On examining carefullyithe trunks of the 

 trees we noticed a great many worms, very strikingly beautiful 

 yet ugly enough to make one feel "creepy." .At the extreme 

 end, or tail, was a tuft of straight brown bristles standing up at 

 an angle of 4S degrees. Just back of the head were four little 

 Uifls or plumes of a very pale yellow. The upper half of the lar- 

 va was somewhat larger in diameter than the lower. In a word, it 

 was very showy, and appeared lo be a voracious ealer of the leaves. 

 The lindens appeared to be the greatest sufferers, and then came 

 the poplars and maples. 



We asked some of the residents what the pest was; but nobody 

 seemed to know very much about it except one man, who ven- 

 tured that it was the California scab. Of course, we knew that 

 could not be correct. 



Fearing that the pest might be the gipsy moth — or at any rate 

 knowing that it was something very destructive, and that possibly 

 iiihers might be suffering from it, we addressed a letter to Pro- 

 lessor H. A. Surface, describing minutely the larva, and supplying 

 a rough sketch. The letter below is interesting, and it may help 

 others, who may have large numbers of basswood or maple trees, 

 to cope with the ravages of the pest, for it is gettting to be a very 

 serious one in Cleveland. 



On arriving home we observed that the same insect had begun 

 work on a vine at a neighbor's house. He destroyed the whole 

 vine, root and branch, in a bonfire. We then found that the co- 

 coons were being built on the under edge of the clnpboards of the 

 house. These were carefully himted out and destroyed. As 

 Rootville is blessed with beautiful lindens, or basswoods,we did 

 not care, of course, to have the pests started on them. 



Prof. Surface's letter only emphasizes the importance of pre- 

 serving our feathered friends. Small boys every now and then 

 consider it fine sport, with an air-iifle or flobert, to pick off these 

 birds one by one. These boys should be immediately informed 

 that it is against the law. — Ei>.] 



Mr. E. R. Root: — I was pleased to receive your 

 recent letter so accurately describing the larva? 

 destructive to the shade-trees on the streets of the 



city of Cleveland. There is no doubt whatever 

 concerning the correct name of the pest, as your 

 description and illustration of the pest are accu- 

 rate. This is the white-marked tussock moth, 

 sc'ienuRc name Hf/nerocampa Uiicostigma. I have 

 never heard it called California scab, and tiiink 

 this is a very poor name for an insect which is so 

 free-moving as is the larva of a moth. This lar- 

 va transforms into a moth, the male of which has 

 an expanse of wings of one-eighth inch, while 

 the wings of the lemale are very small vestiges, 

 and are so inconspicuous as to escape observation 

 by many persons, and consequently she does not 

 look like a moth, wings being absent. It is a 

 very destructive pest, especial y on the shade-trees 

 of cities, as it feeds upon a great many kinds of 

 trees, and is too often allowed to go unchecked 

 until it has destroyed the foliage of the tree and 

 become a general nuisance by its abundance. 

 However, it has many enemies, both in the insect 

 world and among birds. It has many internal 

 parasites which help in holding it in check; and 

 certain birds, such as cuckoos, feed upon it read- 

 ily. The tussock-moth larva feeds upon the foli- 

 age of maple, horsechestniit, and other shade- 

 trees, and becomes easily the most serious pest of 

 these trees on some village or city streets. The 

 life history is interesting, and is as follows: 

 The larvje feed until they reach a length of 



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MAP SHOWING DISTRIBUTION OF BEE DISEASfS IN MASSACHUSETTS, AND POSSIBLE SOURCES OF IN- 

 FECTION FROM NEIGHBORING STATES. 

 Re-engraved from Bulletin No. 75, Part III., by Burton N. Ci.ites, Bureau of Entomology, Washington, D. C. See editorial in last 

 issue, page 869. 



