140 



NEW HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE 



arrangements by which the increase and decrease of noxious 

 insects are reguhited. 



The extending range of food-plants mentioned in my pre- 

 vious reports upon the tent caterpillar was as much in evidence 

 this season as before. Mr. Fiske, who was instructed to make 

 special observations upon this phase of the subject, has sum- 

 marized his notes as follows: The list of food-plants of the 

 American tent caterpillar is long and varied, and when com- 

 pared with other caterpillars, a peculiar fact is noticeable. In 

 most cases where the food is varied, the insects confine them- 

 selves to certain orders of plants, usually nearly related to each 

 other, but the prime requisite with the present species seems to 

 be that the plants shall be of a shrubbv nature. The members 

 of the rose family seem to be the natural food of the tent cater- 

 pillar, and very few, if any, of the shrubby and arboreal mem- 

 bers of this family escaped. All species of plum, pear, and 

 apple (the genera Prunus and Pyrus) seem to be used for the 

 deposition of eggs, although the two common wild cherries, 

 the black cherry and the choke cherry, and the apple are most 

 commonly chosen. The egg-masses are seldom deposited 

 ft'^.isrjBgj,^^ upon roses, although the 



^^^^=^^^^^1^ caterpillars attack the 



leaves readily (Fig. i). 

 The herbaceous members 

 of the family are, how- 

 ever, let severely alone, and 

 even the shrubby dewber- 

 ries, raspberries, and black- 

 berries (of the genus Ru- 

 bus) are seldom touched. 

 The woody spiraeas or 

 hardbacks are fed upon, 

 especially the white hard- 

 hack. Outside the rose 

 family I have seen original 

 colonies (that is, colonies 

 from egg-masses deposited 



Fig. 2. Poplar leafeatenby Tent Caterpillars • on the plant), on SpecieS of 



but few families. Perhaps 



(Original.) 



