BUGS, INSECTS, ETC.— REMEDIES FOR. 



more glossy ; the front wings of the 

 male have a distinct white spot on the 

 front edge, and are crossed by two pale, 

 jagged bands, along the sides of which 

 there are several blackish dots. The 

 hind wings also have a pale, curved line, 

 more or less distinct, across their middle. 

 The female is uniformly dark ash-gray 

 above, paler beneath, with the antennae na- 

 ked, and the legs and abdomen smooth and 

 glistening, and with no extensive oviposi- 

 tor. Thus it lacks the characteristic 

 spines ot vernata, the dusky marks across 

 the front wings, and the pubescence in 

 the female, together with many other 

 minor differences. 



The moths rise mostly late in the fall, 

 but also during the warm weather of win- 

 ter, even to spring. The eggs are tough, 

 with a flattened crown of a purplish color, 

 and having a dimple in the centre, and a 

 brown ring near the edge; they are not 

 secreted or hidden under scales, but are 

 laid in regular and compact batches, of 

 from ioo to upwards of 200, on the sur- 

 face of twigs or of the trunk, being fas- 

 tened by a strong glue, and covered with 

 a slight coating of grayish varnish. The 

 larva is distinguished from that of the 

 Spring Canker-worm by having a dark 

 brown back, and three conspicuous broad, 

 pale yellow lines each side, as well as by 

 having a third pair of prolegs, shorter 

 than the others, on the eighth joint. It 

 develops very rapidly, entering the 

 ground, with favorable weather, within 

 three weeks after hatching; and, singu- 

 larly enough, suffers but two molts, ex- 

 clusive of that which takes place under 

 ground in transforming to the chrysalis. 

 It is found principally, on the Elm. The 

 female chrysalis is stout, and has a little, 

 decurved, bifid thorn on the tip of the 

 body superiorly. It has perfect wing- 

 sheaths, though the moth is wingless. 

 The color is light brown with darker 

 wing-sheaths. 



Remedy. — In the case of the Spring 

 species, the scraping of loose bark from 

 the tree, and otherwise cleansing it of 

 dead leaves, coccons, larva-cases, etc., a 

 short time before the hatching of the 

 worms, or before the buds of the tree 

 commenced to open, will prove an effectual 

 preventive measure ; as thereby many of 

 the eggs will be destroyed. Moreover, a 

 tree kept clean of loose bark will be less 



subject to its attacks. The same argu- 

 ment will not apply to the fall species, 

 which attaches its eggs in any exposed 

 position. It would seem, also, that the 

 mode of trapping the moths will have to 

 be somewhat modified, according to the 

 species to be dealt with; for while Dr. 

 LeBarron found the tin and rope trap so 

 effectual with the Spring Canker-worm^ 

 it does not appear to afford any barrier ta 

 the fall species. 



CLOVER-HAY WOBM.— This is a very 

 widely distributed little insect, for it 



Fig. 42.— Asopia Costalis. 



1, 2, larva; 3, cocoon; 4, chrysalis; 5, 6, moth 

 with wings expanded and closed ; 7, worm, cov- 

 ered with silken web. 



occurs in many parts of Europe and 

 Canada, and is quite generally found 

 throughout the Eastern and Middle 

 States, and in the Mississippi Valley. 



For many years grievous complaints 

 were made in this country of a worm 

 which infests clover, both in the stack and 

 mow, and spoiled it for feeding purposes 

 by interweaving and covering it with 

 abundant white silken web and black 

 excrement, much resembling coarse gun- 

 powder. Frequently the silken matting 

 is so dense that the hay looks moldy, 

 and it is not improbable that much of 

 the " clotting " and " burning " clover, so 

 often referred to in our agricultural 

 journals, may be, in reality, the work of 

 this worm. 



Remedies. — From what we now know 

 of the habits of this insect (and there is 

 much yet, in detail, to learn), the only 

 way to defeat its attack is by adopting 

 certain preventive measures : First, as the 

 worms feed solely on dry clover, it follows 



