62 



INSECT RECORD FOR 1899 



In the annual report of tliis station for 1898/^ I called atten- 

 tion to the great destruction of American Tent Caterpil- 

 lars (Clisiocampa araericana) which had taken place in April 

 and June, and predicted that this pest would be less numerous 

 in 1899. This prediction has been abundantly verified, for 



the scarcity of these cat- 

 erpillars has been one of 

 the most remarkable en- 

 tomological events of the 

 year. Many correspon- 

 dents in different parts 

 of the state have called 

 attention to the absence 

 of the usual nests, and 

 have asked the reason for 

 it. In my own field trips 

 I have gone over most of 

 the state and have found 

 almost everywhere a sim- 

 ilar scarcitv, while Mr. 

 Fiske, who has traversed 

 some sections where I 

 have not been, makes the 

 same report. The only 

 place where we have 

 found the caterpillars at 

 all common is a small 

 region in the extreme 

 southeastern part of the 

 state. 



There seems to be little 

 doubt that this lessening 

 in the numbers of these 

 caterpillars is due to the 

 causes described in my last report. In 1898, when the cater- 

 pillars were hatching and before they had time to make the 

 protecting tent (Fig. 11) that they commonly construct yqtj 



* Bulletin 59, November, 1S98, page 201. 



Fig. 14. Nest of young Teut Caterpillars over 



