204 



ELEMENTARY ENTOMOLOGY 



antennae. The females of our common species, of which the 

 white-marked tussock-moth (Hemerocampa leucostigmd) is a good 

 example, are wingless and look more like hairy grubs or fat 

 spiders than moths. These wingless females pair as soon as they 

 emerge from the cocoons, and then lay their eggs upon them and 

 die. The eggs of this species are usually found on the trunks of 

 trees, and are covered with a white substance looking like frosting. 



The caterpillar is 



i- li^ffiffi9BH9HHHnii9BHHBI 



about one and one 



fl^^^ \ / ^^^H| half inches long, with 



^^^jUf^^l a pair of black pencils 



of hairs projecting a 



jB K half inch forward on 



either side of the head, 

 and a single pencil of 

 similar length extend- 

 ing from the tip of 

 the abdomen. The 

 head and a small 

 glandular dot on the 

 center of the sixth 

 and seventh abdom- 

 inal segments are 

 bright red, the body 

 is yellow banded with 

 black, and the first 

 four abdominal seg- 

 ments bear brushlike 

 tufts of white hairs. 

 This species often becomes a serious pest of shade and fruit trees, 

 while nearly related species are common but not so injurious. To this 

 family belong the gypsy moth (Portketria dispar) and the brown- 

 tail moth (Enproctis chrysorrhoed), both of which have been 

 imported from Europe into New England, where they have done 

 enormous damage to trees of all kinds. The male gypsy moth is 

 tawny brown, with black markings, while the female is much larger, 

 and is white, with wavy blackish lines across the wings. The 

 female is unable to use her wings for flight, and lays her eggs on 



FIG. 321. Male and female gypsy moths. (Natural 

 size) 



(After Forbush and Fernald) 



