54 



THE FALL WEB-WORM. 

 {Hyphantria texfor Harr.) 



The tents formed by the caterpillars of this insect are often very 

 noticeable in the early fall months on various shade and fruit trees 

 and often cover several square feet. 



The moths, which are flying during June and July, greatly resem- 

 ble those of the Brown-tail moth, but are without the golden brown 

 tuft at the end of the body possessed by the latter. The eggs are 

 laid in clusters on the leaves, and the caterpillars on hatching at once 

 begin to spin a web under which they feed. As this proceeds the 

 tent is extended until it may cover the surface of an entire limb, 

 greatly injuring the appearance of the tree, and when the webs are 

 numerous entire trees may be covered and stripped of their foliage. 

 After about a month's feeding the caterpillars crawl to protected 

 places where they spin cocoons in which they spend the winter. 



This insect is rarely so abundant as to endanger the life of a tree, 

 but its webs are so noticeable in August and September that treat- 

 ment is very desirable to keep the insects under control and the trees 

 looking well. When the webs first appear it is easy to remove them 

 by hand and crush the caterpillars. W'hen they are so located as 

 to make this impossible, and also when they have become so large 

 as to prevent this, spraying heavily with arsenate of lead around the 

 web is of service, for while the leaves actually fed upon are protected 

 from the spray by the web over them, any subsequent enlarging of 

 this to enclose more food will result in bringing the sprayed leaves 

 under the web, where they will be consumed. 



CANKER WORMS. 



{Alsophila pometaria Harr., the Fall Canker-worm.) 

 {Paleacrita veriiata Peck., the Spring Canker-worm.) 



Though canker worms are very common in Massachusetts, they 

 only become destructively abundant at intervals of several years, and 

 though both the Fall and Spring Canker worms occur it is probably 

 the former which is most frequently met with. 



The two kinds have many features in common. The caterpillars 

 of both feed during the spring months ; both transform from the 

 caterpillar to the adult in the ground ; the female moths of both are 



