Division of Entomology. 



Charles P. Lounsbury. 



CANKER WORMS. 



Canker worms have been becoming more and more abundant for 

 several years in the eastern part of the State, and in the Connecticut 

 Valley after eight oj- nine years of comparative scarcity, they have 

 again become excessively numerous. Last season they destroyed 

 fully half of the foliage of the apple trees in some places, besides 

 committing extensive depredations on the elms, and there is every 

 prospect of iheir doing immense damage during the coming spring in 

 all places where active measures are not at once taken to hold them 

 in check. 



Two distinct species of insects ai'e included under the common 

 name " Canker Worm," and both of these occur in Massachusetts. 

 They are Faleacnta remata (Peck.) ixmX Anisopteryx pometaria Harr. 

 The former is popularly designated " 'Jhe Spring Canker Worm," 

 and the latter, " 'llie Fall Canker Worm." The seasonal reference 

 is to the appearance of the moths, the caterpillars of the two species 

 appearing sinudtaneously in the spring. The two species resemble 

 each other so closely in many respects that they were long confounded 

 and regarded as one species. The food plants of the two are the 

 same. Both prefer apple and elm. but will feed also on cherry and 

 peach. The spring species has in addition been reported as feeding 

 on pear, plum, maple, linden, ash, and honey-locust. The male moths 

 of both species are winged, while the females are wingless. The 

 duration of the caterpillar state and the Indjits of the caterpillars 

 spinning down from the trees when disturbed and when fully grown 

 are the same in the two species. 



