SHADE TREE INSECTS 47 



In parts of Maine there is a moth known as the birch casebearer, Coleophora 

 salmani Heinr., the caterpillars of which for the most part attack the leaves of 

 various birches and speckled alder; but red oak, red maple, hazelnut, trembling 

 aspen, and willow growing near heavily infested birches are sometimes attacked 

 by the mature larvae. Its life history and habits are somewhat similar to those of 

 the related elm casebearer, Coleophora limosipennella Dup. It may be distinguished 

 from the birch skeletonizer, Bucculatrix canadensisella, and other birch leaf- 

 feeding insects mentioned here, by the presence of the cases on the leaves. It 

 has not yet been reported to occur in Massachusetts. 



Gillespie, A. M. Maine Forest Service Bui. 7. 1932. 



Peirson, H. B., and Brower, A. E. Maine Forest Service and Maine Hardwood Assoc. Bui. 11. 

 1936. 



Mourning-Cloak Butterfly 



HatHcidryas antiopa Linn. 



This insect, sometimes known as the spin}' elm caterpillar, is widel)' distributed 

 over the North Temperate Zone. It is one of the few butterflies of economic 

 importance. The caterpillars feed in colonies, mainl}' on elm, willow, poplar, 

 and hackberry, often defoliating a terminal branch here and there or, when 

 abundant, the whole tree. 



Description. The butterfly has a wingspread of about 2}A inches. The body 

 is black. The upper wing surfaces are dark reddish-brown with a yellow border 

 finely dotted with dark blue markings. Just inside this yellow border there is a 

 series of bluish spots. 



The eggs are irregular in shape, some being 7- or 8-sided, and are laid side by 

 side around twigs in masses which may be 1 or 2 inches in length. 



The mature caterpillars are black, the entire body being encircled by successive 

 rings of white dots and covered with numerous large, branched spines. On the 

 top of each bod>' segment there is a red spot. The head is covered with tubercles. 



The pupae are pale powder-blue and have a double row of simple spines along 

 one side. 



Life History. The butterflies hibernate in sheltered places. On warm days 

 in the early spring they may be seen flying about, and in May they lay their 

 5'ellowish eggs in naked clusters around small twigs or branches. These hatch in 

 about 2 weeks and the tiny caterpillars feed side by side on the leaves, eating all 

 the leaf tissue except the veins. Whole branches may be defoliated at this time. 

 As the larvae grow older they leave only the large midveins. Toward the latter 

 part of June the caterpillars become mature, stop feeding, scatter, attach them- 

 selves to the under side of twigs, branches, or fence rails, and pupate within their 

 last larval skin. In approximately 2 weeks the butterflies emerge from the 

 chrysalids and may be seen on the wing early in July. They soon lay eggs for a 

 second generation, the caterpillars of which feed on the leaves during August. 

 The second generation seldom causes nmch damage and usually goes unnoticed. 

 The adults go into hibernation in early fall. 



Co)itrol. When the caterpillars are abundant the usual recommendation is to 

 spray the foliage, in the spring when the spiny caterpillars are still very small, 

 with lead arsenate at the rate of 4 pounds to 100 gallons of water. Two pounds 

 of cheap flour or 1 pound of calcium caseinate may be added to improve the 

 sticking qualities. Sprays applied to elms to control cankerworms or elm leaf 

 beetles will also control this insect. 



