GIPSY MOTH 1'orthetna dispar L. 

 ORIGINATION AND SPREAD 



The Gipsy Moth has been a serious pest in Europe, at intervals, since the first authentic report 

 in 1662. Records show that large areas often embracing thousands of square miles of forest trees 

 have been entirely stripped of their leaves. Gipsy Moths were first brought into this country in 

 1868. About 1890 they had become such a serious pest throughout the eastern part of Massachu- 

 setts, some twenty towns having become infested, that the authorities commenced the task of 

 extermination. Previous to 1900 a million and a quarter dollars had been spent with the result 

 that so fsw moths could be found that the Legislature stopped the work of control. From 1900 

 to 1904 the only effort to combat the pest was by townships and private parties, with partial success. 

 By 1905 the moth had increased to such an extent that appropriations were made to commence 

 the work of suppression. The insect had spread into Rhode Island, Maine, Connecticut anJ New 

 Hampshire. It has not yet, however, become established outside of the New England States. 



The spread of the Gipsy Moth is comparatively slow because the female does not fly far. It 

 has taken forty years for the pest to become established in the New England States. The existing 

 means of communication are such that the appearance of Gipsy Moths has been expected for many 

 years, but at the present time it is not known to occur in New York State. 



An appropriation of $50,000 was made available in 1910 to prevent introduction into New York 

 State. With a portion of this fund the Commissioner of Agriculture has conducted investigations 

 which it seems would have revealed the pest if here. Large sections of the state have been thor- 

 oughly scouted and all shipments of nursery stock from infested sections have been carefully in- 

 spected at points of destination. These precautionary steps are being continued. 



PLANTS PREFERRED AND EXTENT OF INJURY 



Gipsy Moths when uncontrolled appear in such great numbers and are so persistent that they 

 ruin or kill most varieties of shade trees in two or three years. They also feed upon evergreens, 

 a single complete stripping of which will kill the trees, and they are also destructive to all kinds 

 of fruit trees. In Massachusetts, out of 583 plants or trees on which the Gipsy Moth caterpillars 

 were placed, there were only 19 on which they would not feed. 



PRIVATE EXPENDITURES AND PUBLIC APPROPRIATIONS 



The laws and appropriations for suppressing Gipsy Moths have generally applied also to the 

 suppression of Brown-Tail Moths. The following figures show private expenditures and public 

 appropriations for combating both insects. These figures do not include any estimate of damage 

 caused by the depredations of Gipsy and Brown-Tail Moths. 

 MASSACHUSETTS: Amount expended by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 



from 1890 to 1899 and appropriated from 1905 to 1910 tz, 770,000 oo 



Amount expended by cities, towns, individuals, etc. in Massachusetts 



from 1900 to 1904, when there were no state appropriations 3,136,090 oo 



UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT: Appropriations, 1906 to 1910 i ,082 , 500 oo 



MAINE: Appropriations, 1905 to 1910 120 ,000 oo 



NEW YORK: Appropriation, 1910 5,o 



NEW HAMPSHIRE: Appropriations, 1907 to 1910 50,000 oo 



RHODE ISLAND: Appropriations, 1906 to 1910 41 , 100 oo 



CONNECTICUT: Appropriations, 1906 to 1910 20 ,800 oo 



PRIVATE EXPENDITURES AND PUBLIC APPROPRIATIONS FOR COMBATING GIPSY 

 AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS IN NEW ENGLAND STATES AND NEW YORK. (The 

 cost of work by cities, towns and individuals is not estimated and included, 

 with the exception of Massachusetts for the years igco to 1904, when 

 there were no state appropriations) $7, 2 70, 490 oo 



LIFE HISTORY 



Drawing and coloring under the direction of P. J. Parrott and A. F. Burgess 



I. Egg masses from July to May may be found on the under side of leaves, on fences, stone 

 walls, on houses near the ground, or in the peak under the cornice, and on the bodies of trees 

 from the ground up. The egg masses are of a conspicuous buckskin color, and flat and oval in 

 shape. (Fig. I shows female laying eggs. Fig. 2 shows eggs enlarged.) They remain over 

 winter, hatching taking place during the following spring. 



II. Caterpillars appear in April and May. They feed at night and rest under cover in day time 

 until July. The mature caterpillar has along the back a double row of five pairs of blue 

 spots followed by a double row of six pairs of red spots which distinguish it from other 

 species (Fig. 3). 

 III. Pupae in August (fig. 4). 



IV. Moth? appear in August and soon die. The female is heavy and sluggish and flies litti ; 01 

 nom> (Fig. 5). The male moth is smaller and darker than the female (Fig. 6). It is very 

 active on the wing and flies in a peculiar zig-zag manner. 



REMEDIES 



Paint egg clusters with creosote in fall, winter or spring. Spraying in June with arsenateof lead 

 is an efficient treatment. Band trees with burlap and examine daily. 



Specimens of any suspected insects sbould be securely packed and sent by mail with name and 

 address of sender, to the Department of Agriculture, Albany, N. Y., for identification. 

 January 16, lyi i. R- A. PEARSON, Commissioner of Agrit ulliire. 



