390 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



concinnata, a species of Tachinid fly, was very abundant during the 

 summer of 1912, especially in the territory which was longest infested 

 by the gypsy moth, and continued to spread during the past summer. 

 It has not been so abundant in the oldest infested territories as in some 

 of the outlying colonies. Collections of more than 1,100 gypsy moth 

 caterpillars made in 4 towns in central Massachusetts show a parasitism 

 by this species of over 40 per cent, while similar collections in the central 

 infested area have indicated an average parasitism of about 5 per cent. 

 It is probable that the decrease in parasitism in the old infested area, 

 as far as this species is concerned, is due to the fact that gypsy moth 

 caterpillars are not nearly as abundant as they were during the pre\'ious 

 year, and also because of the enormous numbers of the American tent 

 and forest tent caterpillars which were present in this region and which 

 are also attacked by this parasite. 



Limnerium disparidis and Apaiiteles species were received from Europe 

 for the first time in 1911, and were planted in several badly infested 

 gypsy moth colonies. Both species were recovered during the summer 

 of 1912, which indicated that it is possible for the insects to withstand 

 our cold winters. In the case of the latter species, as high as 7 per cent 

 of parasitism of gypsy moth larvse was found. The present summer the 

 Limnerium was recovered from a single locahty where the species was 

 liberated in 1911. Although it has evidently become estabhshed, it 

 has not thus far shown marked ability to increase in the gypsy moth 

 infested area in New England. 



Another species of Apanteles, namely, A. lacteicolor, an important para- 

 site of the brown-tail moth caterpillars, has been recovered in large num- 

 bers, and has been found to attack gypsy moth caterpillars in widely 

 separated regions. This species seems to be multiplying more rapidly 

 than any of the other Hymenopterous parasites of the gypsy moth. In 

 order to colonize this species over as wide an area as possible, an arrange- 

 ment was made with the State Entomologist in New Hampshire, and 

 the superintendent of moth work in Maine, to liberate as many colonies 

 as possible along the outskirts of the area infested by the brown-tail 

 moth in those States. Small collections of gypsy moth larvse were made 

 at Melrose, and in some cases 10 per cent of the larvse were killed by 

 this species. In several locahties in New Hampshire the past summer 

 the cocoons of this parasite were very abundant, and several hundred 

 were easily collected for experimental work. They were taken, for the 

 most part, on the foliage of trees, and attached to dead caterpillars. 



The Calosoma beetle (Calosoma sycophanta) has been observ^ed in large 

 numbers in towns where bad colonies of the gypsy moth were present. It 

 has not been possible to obtain definite records of the amount of benefit 

 derived from this species, or of its abundance, except in cases where trees 

 were burlapped, a§ these bands furnish favorable hiding places for the 

 caterpillars and are favorite locations for the beetles and larvse to obtain 

 food. In such cases, where caterpillars were abundant, 20 or more of 



