THE ORIENTAL MOTH IN ASIA. 



In the Orient this insect has an extensive distribution. In Japan 

 it has been captured on the island Yezo and from there southward at 

 least as far as Yokohama. On the main land it has been taken at 

 Chabarofoka and Blagoweschtschensk in Amur, north of the fiftieth 

 degree of latitude, and Graeser says that at the latter place cocoons 

 could be found by the hundreds in the gardens and forests. Farther 

 south it is abundant in the province of Chi-li near Peking, it being 

 possible there to obtain the cocoons by the thousand, and this is also 

 true near Shanghai. The most southern point from which it has 

 been reported is on the Yiang-tse-Kiang river just north of the thir- 

 tieth degree of latitude. 



Such a distribution as this in North America would include all the 

 United States except the peninsula of Florida ; northern Mexico 

 and southern Canada. So far as the climate is concerned therefore, 

 it is likely that this insect could live almost anywhere in the United 

 States. 



Food plants reported from Asia are the Celtis, birch, elm and 

 Japanese Persimmon {Diospyros kaki). 



WILL IT BECOME A PEST HERE? 



This is a difficult question to answer. The Oriental moth belongs 

 to the family Cochlidiidas and members of this family are not usually 

 of much economic importance. In this case however, we have an 

 insect which has probably reached this country without being accom- 

 panied by any of the enemies which presumably hold it in check in 

 its native land, and it has already shown its ability to live and spread 

 in this climate. 



No evidence of the presence here of enemies has thus far been 

 found except that about one cocoon in a thousand has a hole in the 

 side and is empty though the lid is still in place, showing that the 

 moth has not emerged. It is possible that this is the work of birds, 

 but if so the small number of cocoons attacked is not encouraging 

 to the idea that birds will prove important enemies of this insect. 



While the writer is of the opinion that the Oriental Moth is not 

 likely to become a very dangerous pest in this country the experience 

 of Massachusetts with the Gypsy and Brown-tail moths has been so 

 serious that the possibility that this may become another enemy of 



I 



