144 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The Tussock Moth (Orgyia lencostigma), so familiar to every- 

 one in the habit of crossing Boston Common in summer, is another 

 insect easily within control of those who are willing to take a little 

 care of their trees. The female moth of this species is wingless, 

 like that of the canker worm, but its caterpillar, instead of going 

 to the ground to form its chrysalis, goes through all of its trans- 

 formations on the tree. The caterpillar usually makes its dull 

 gray cocoon on the bark of the trunks or branches. When the 

 female moths emerge from the chrysalids they deposit their eggs 

 in a mass upon the cocoons from which they came. These cocoons 

 and the whitish egg-masses are readily seen, and if they were 

 collected in winter and destroyed, we should have no further 

 trouble with this pest. 



There are ten or a dozen known species of parasites which prey 

 upon this insect. As the cocoons which produce the male moths 

 bear no eggs they need not be gathered ; iu fact all uon-egg- 

 bearing cocoons might be left as likely to harbor parasites of the 

 Tussock Moth, and these parasites are valuable allies in keeping 

 the numbers of caterpillars iu check. If unskilled labor is 

 employed, or the presence of the cocoons is objectionable, it may 

 be found best and most economical to remove all, regardless of 

 the parasites, which would have no work left if the trees were 

 thoroughly cleared ; moreover, parasites are common among other 

 kinds of insects, so that there is no danger of theu- extermination. 



Nearly every season, we, in Boston, hear complaints of the 

 damage by caterpillars to the Japanese Ampelopsis or ^ ivy," 

 now so much used in covering buildings. These caterpillars are 

 usually of a pale bluish color, with slender black lines, and an 

 orange colored band across each segment. The larvae are often so 

 abundant as to strip the plants of most or all of their leaves. 

 They also feed upon American Ampelopsis or woodbine, and the 

 species of grape. They are the caterpillars of handsome, velvety, 

 blue-black, day-flying moths {Alypia octomaculata) , which expand 

 about an inch and a quarter across the wings ; have two, large, 

 pale yellow spots on each front wing, and two white spots on each 

 hind wing. Besides flying about the food plant of their young, 

 these moths may be seen on the flowers of the mountain ashes, 

 Deulzia gracilis, and other blossoms, in our gardens in early 

 summer. It would be well to catch and destroy them whenever 

 seen. On limited areas the caterpillars may be picked by hand, 



