206 



ELEMENTARY ENTOMOLOGY 



branches with strands of silk and in them spin little silken cells, 

 the whole forming a strong web, within which they pass the winter 



and emerge to complete their 

 growth in the spring. The 

 caterpillars defoliate fruit and 

 shade trees, but never attack 

 conifers, as do the partly grown 

 gypsy-moth caterpillars. They 

 are one and one half inches 

 long, of a dark brown color 

 marked with patches of orange, 

 and covered with numerous 



FIG 324. The brown-tail-moth caterpillar, } barbed hairs. On the 



from side and back. (Natural size) 



side of each segment is a 



characteristic white dash, and the little red spots characteristic of 

 this family are found on the center of the sixth and seventh abdom- 

 inal segments. The tubercles along the back and sides are thickly 

 covered with short brown hairs, the 

 masses having a velvety appearance. 

 These are the nettling hairs, which, 

 when they alight on the skin, produce 

 an eruption very similar to that caused 

 by poison ivy, and which is so painful 

 and annoying that, where the cater- 

 pillars become abundant, they render 

 life miserable for the inhabitants dur- 

 ing early summer. As the nests of 

 this pest have been imported on pear 

 seedlings by nurserymen in almost 

 every state during the past two years, 

 it will be remarkable if it is not soon 

 found outside of New England, and 

 should be constantly watched for, so 

 that it may be brought under control at 

 once before it spreads. This family is 

 a small one, and has almost no species 

 of economic importance in this country 

 other than those mentioned. 



FIG. 325. Winter web of the 



brown-tail-moth caterpillars 



(Reduced) 



