AMERICAN SILKWORM 



93 



Control. Hand-picking of these large species is probably suf- 

 ficient. They may also be controlled by arsenical sprays. In this 

 connection, it might be noted that a fruit raiser, employing modern 

 methods and spraying his trees in season with the proper com- 

 pounds for the leading and most injurious pests, will control these 

 minor pests at the same time, and hence the latter need no special 

 consideration on his part. The grayish cocoons (Fig. 113) are 

 easily seen on the bare trees in fall or winter, and should be 

 destroyed. 



The American Silkworm (Telea polyphemus Cram.). This, 

 like the preceding insect, is of minor impor- 

 tance as a pest, but its immense size makes 

 it well known by many people. It is popu- 

 larly known as the polyphemus moth. The 

 larva attacks not only the apple and plum, 

 but also such shade trees as maple, oak, elm, 

 basswood, and others. 



Description. This large moth has a wing 

 expanse of from five to six inches. It is buff- 

 colored, but is sometimes inclined to pale 

 gray or cream and again almost brown. The 

 wings toward the base are crossed by irregu- 

 lar, pale, white bands margined with red. 

 Near the outer margin is a stripe of pale 

 purplish white, bordered with one of rich 

 brown. About the middle of each wing is 

 a transparent eye-like spot, with slender line 

 across the center. The front edge of the 

 forewings is gray. The moth flies only at 



night and is often mistaken, in the dusk FIG 113 .__ Cecropia co _ 

 of the evening, for a bat by the uninitiated coon frequently seen on bare 



,_. ^ .. trees in winter. 



(Fig. 114). 



The caterpillar, when full grown, is over three inches long, with 

 a thick, yellowish green body, having seven oblique pale yellow 

 lines on each side. Its segments are well marked, and each is 

 ornamented with tubercles, which may be tinted with orange, 

 and each has a silvery spot in the center, and bears a few hairs. 

 The head is pale brown. The terminal segment of the body is 

 bordered by an angular point resembling the letter V (Fig. 115). 



Life History. When this larva is mature, it spins a silken 

 cocoon inside an enclosure formed by drawing together a few 



