340 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 1908. 



The fact that in general the infested districts were stripped 

 about 2 weeks earlier this year than last seems to be due to the 

 greater number of caterpillars this season, many growths being 

 devastated before the caterpillars were nearly grown. This 

 was an unfortunate thing for the caterpillars as, except for such 

 as could reach fresh growth, there was nothing for them to do 

 but "drop out of the trees and keep going up until they died" 

 as one observer put it. 



Natural Enemies of the Saddled Prominent. 



Prophecy as to the condition of the caterpillars another sea- 

 son is as difficult as predictions concerning the state of the trees. 

 There are, however, more definite statements to be made in this 

 case. 



insect enemies. 



Last year over widely separated regions the saddled prom- 

 inent pupated in an apparently perfectly healthy condition. 

 Predaceous bugs and beetles were numerous and fed upon the 

 caterpillars to a considerable extent. Two counts were made 

 for the proportion of parasites from pupae collected this spring. 

 From 255 pupae collected at Upper Gloucester June 1, 1908, 

 190 moths emerged, and 15 parasites, the cause of death of the 

 other 50 pupae was perhaps largely due to injury in transmis- 

 sion or handling in laboratory. From 176 pupae collected May 

 29 at North Fryeburg, 153 moths emerged and 5 parasites, the 

 remaining 18 died probably from injury in transmission. In 

 1908 particularly about August 1, hymenopterous parasites were 

 very abundant in the woods infested by the saddled prominent. 

 Concerning about 40 species there is so far only such circum- 

 stantial evidence that they were present in regions infested by 

 the saddled prominent and further observations will be made 

 for these another season. Pimpla pedalis which passed the 

 winter in the pupa of its host was bred by the writer from pupae 

 of Heterocampa guttivitta collected last spring and Ichneumon 

 sublatus * similarly bred was present this season in great num- 

 bers from North Fryeburg to Norridgewock, and was without 

 question the most beneficial of the hymenopterous parasites. 



* Determined by Mr. Crawford through the courtesy of the U. S. 

 Bureau of Entomology. 



