332 MAINS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1 908. 



alone and sometimes helped out by the green striped maple 

 caterpillar, Anisota rubicunda* which has been for two years 

 very numerous. Similarly the attack by the saddled prominent 

 on the oaks was reinforced by the rosy-striped oak-worm, 

 A nisota virginiensis* 



As to what happened to apple orchards in the infested dis- 

 tricts Figure 32 is sufficient explanation. 



Yellow birch seemed avoided at first and several reports came 

 in "everything stripped but yellow birch" but larvae of this 

 species were seen actively feeding upon the yellow birch at East 

 Sangerville and elsewhere later in the season. 



Sumac was in several instances reported stripped but in every 

 case investigated by the writer this was due to an undetermined 

 small green caterpillar which made a general raid of the sumacs 

 this season. 



Saddled prominents were observed to be feeding also upon 

 witch hazel, poplar, blackberry, mountain maple, spirea, cherry, 

 and undoubtedly a full list of food plants would be very long. 



The order in which various species of trees were taken 

 seemed to vary in different localities but everywhere the beech 

 was given preference. 



The following extracts from letters give the food plants most 

 attacked and are indicative of the extent and time of most con- 

 spicuous infestations. In each case the inquiry was accom- 

 panied by specimens of the saddled prominent. 



July 18, 1908. Douglas Hill, Cumberland County, Maine. 

 "Sunday they stripped fully 50 acres of forest trees here and 

 are still at work very rapidly. They are also on apple trees." 



July 28. Dover, Piscataquis County. "I am sending several 

 worms taken from maple trees. They are eating the leaves 

 from the tops or seem to work more in the top. May work 

 downward later as I have just discovered them." 



July 14. Bridgton, Cumberland County. "Some green 

 worms are covering our apple trees in large numbers and are 

 doing great damage." 



July 1 6. Naples, Cumberland County. "What species of 

 worm are these on nearly all hardwood and fruit trees? 

 Beeches seem to be the ones they prefer." 



* See Maine Agric. Experiment Station Bulletin No. 162 Insect Notes 

 for 1908. 



