INSKCTS AFFECTING PARK AND WOODLAND TREES 315 



Description. The fiill thrown larva has been described by Dr Ilarris 



as follows : 



White, covered with white hairs in short spreading tufts, a row of eight 

 black tufts along the back; two long, black, pencil-like tufts on the fourth 

 and tenth segments; four white on the second and third, two on the iith 

 and 1 2th. Head, prothoracic legs and surface of the body are covered 

 with minute black tubercles and a transverse black line between each 

 segment. 



The cocoon is oval, ash gray. 



The pupa is short, thick and rather blunt, not rounded at the hinder 

 end and not do\vn\-, and the moth emerges during the month of June. 



The adult insect has a wing spread from a little over i^ inches to 

 about 2 inches. It has light brown forew'ings which are irregularly spotted 

 with silvery white and with the veins indicated by darker lines of color. 

 The thora.x is a light brown w-ith dark brown at the base of the patagia, 

 and the abdomen is a darker brown. The male may be recognized by its 

 smaller size and the more pectinate antennae. 



Life history. The life history of this species has been given by Dr 



Harris substantialh as follows. 



The caterpillars when young, feed in company on the leaves and when 

 not engaged in eating bend down the head and bring over it the long hairs 

 on the forepart of the body. They are i yi inches long and when full 

 grown, in the latter part of September, forsake the tree, and secrete them- 

 selves under stones or in crevices of walls, spinning oval, thin hairy 

 cocoons. 



Bibliography 



1856 Fitch, Asa. Ins. \. Y. ist Rcp't, p. 159-63 



1S90 Packard, A. S. U. .S. Em. ("dih. 5th Rep't, p. 299-300 



Birch leaf skeletonizer 

 Bncculatrix laiiadcnsisclla Chamb. 

 Leaves of white birches are sonietinies skeletonized by a small ])ale green caterpillar. 

 The foliage turns brown the latter part of the summer, and the small brownish yellow 

 ribbed cocoons serve to i<lentify the dejiredator. 



This species was exceedingly abundant in New York State in 1901, 

 and skeletonized the foliaee of white birch over large areas. It was so 



