a re ee ee ee ee eee 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology 
L. O. Howard, Chief 
PROFESSIONAL PAPER July 10, 1919 
Washington, D. C. 
A STUDY OF COMPSILURA CONCINNATA, AN IM- 
PORTED TACHINID PARASITE OF THE GIPSY 
MOTH AND THE BROWN-TAIL MOTH. 
By Junian J. Cunver,* 
Entomological Assistant, Gipsy Moth and Brown-tail Moth Investigations. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. S Page 
PRE CEA ior core sce onc ca cactece tows 1 Life history—Continued. 
History of Compsilura concinnata Meigen... -. 3 Parthenogenesis..........2.-.---ee0eeee 16 
DIPS CHIDMONG= 52 == = inc aaee hse ee aes = 3 Copulation joh. fe oe coteeecm esses teise= 17 
Distribution in Europe.........-.------- 4 WMAnVvipOSilONy +22 5 Sec coc coeoee caeeeae es 17 
Hosts, European and American...-...--. 5 Action on hosts other than the gipsy and 
Importations to United States........-.. 6 brown-tail moths.................00--- 18 
WNBTIZCLUIOWN = 25 = 2 sna cis < oot cnaecienio=es 6 Effect of temperature upon various stages 
SSD G23 oe ee ie ae ea 7 of Compsilura concinnata......-.-....-- 19 
PCRNPTN Sees ono. was ee eae aneee 7 | Seasonal history..............--.--.----cc0ce 20 
Discussion of classification of Compsilura con- Presence in field and number of genera- 
CUE Fs OS. OA OIE 9 GLOMUS Ss Re eae ae eke Sew S 20 
Discussion of larva stage of Compsilura concin- Miibermatione nese cesea ae oe oe 21 
MAN meee a ac Sas scene isis asses na ate tosis 10 | Secondary parasitism............----.------- 23 
NiifeMiswry sees 22953252 3i0022-ogsseeee-She 13) || Supenparasitismissecesa. sae sa cses cee asec ee 23 
Method of handling...........-......-.-- 13 | Supernumerary parasitism............------ 24 
Larva and pupa stages.----.........-.-.- 15 | Economic importance.-............---------- 24. 
IIEMBLAEO orcs ons oe ene eee 16) |. Bibliographyzee sec se cmon seeeciaceeeees see 26 
Gesiguguerse: cose Cos Stace neas tess 16 
INTRODUCTION. 
Compsilura concinnata Meigen (P1. I, fig. 1), one of the imported 
tachinid parasites of the gipsy moth and the brown-tail moth, was 
introduced into Massachusetts first in 1906, at which time these moths 
were so abundant and destructive, particularly in eastern Massachu- 
1The writer wishes to express his appreciation of the help given by the various as- 
sistants at the Gipsy Moth Laboratory as well as by the field men, both at the labora- 
tory and in collecting host material; to Mr. A. I’. Burgess and Dr. John N. Summers for 
their helpful suggestions and advice; to Mr. R. T. Webber for furnishing rearing records, 
the bulk of the native host list being the results of his experiments; to Mr. C. I’. Muese- 
beck for assisting in the dissections and drawings of some of the figures in this bulletin ; 
and to Mr. A. M. Wilcox, who furnished large quantities of parasite-free host material. 
for use in the reproduction experiments on Compsilura. 
95537°—Bull. 766—19 1 
