270 FRUIT PESTS 



Tent Caterpillar. The tent caterpillar forms a web- 

 like tent in the crotch of the branches. The insects leave 

 this protection at certain times of the day to feed upon 

 the foliage, returning to the tents at night. The young 

 caterpillars, which hatch in the spring just as the leaves 

 open, are voracious eaters. Unless controlled, they will 

 soon strip an infested tree of its foliage. They are es- 

 pecially fond of the foliage of apples and cherries. They 

 grow very rapidly until matured, when they are about 

 two inches long. 



The tent caterpillar is easily controlled by spraying the 

 foliage with arsenate of lead or Paris green. If the trees 

 are not sprayed, the tents formed are readily seen and 

 should be cut out or destroyed when the worms are still 

 inside. 



Web worm. --The web worm is often mistaken for 

 the tent caterpillar, but it differs from the latter in ap- 

 pearing later and in forming its web over its feeding sur- 

 face rather than simply in the crotch of the branches. The 

 fall webworm, which is most common, usually appears in 

 July or August. 



This insect may be easily controlled by pruning and 

 burning the webs when they first appear, and while they 

 are still small. If not controlled the web enlarges and 

 covers large branches which the worms defoliate. 



Plum Curculio. -- This is the worst enemy of plums and 

 often attacks cherries. The mature beetle is about a quar- 

 ter of an inch long, grayish-brown, with two conspicuous 

 humps on its back, and feeds slightly upon the foliage. 

 It has a long snout with which it cuts a crescent-shaped 

 hole on the surface of a young hard fruit in which it deposits 

 its egg. The white grub, which hatches from the egg, eats 



