184 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



not causing very much injury. The forest tent caterpillar 

 (Malacosoma? d i s s t r i a Hiibn.) has appeared in very v 

 small numbers on chokecherry trees. The weather is dry and warm 

 and consequently favorable to the development of insect life. Many 

 clover leaves have small, round holes eaten in them, possibly the 

 work of the clover leaf weevil (Phytonomus punctat us 

 Fabr.). — May 13. Cankerworms are developing rapidly and have 

 caused a great deal of injury. Ants of several species are quite 

 abundant. — May 20. Red admiral butterflies (Vanessa a t a - 

 lanta Linn.) have appeared but are not as abundant as 

 usual. The appletree tent caterpillar is quite scarce, only five 

 webs or nests being observed in a 5 mile drive. Cankerworms are 

 abundant, and while many trees have been injured to a consider- 

 able extent, none have been entirely defoliated. Potato beetles 

 (Doryphora 10-lineata Say) have appeared and depos- 

 ited some eggs. Cold weather is keeping insects in control. 

 Green plant lice are somewhat abundant on rosebushes. Cur- 

 rant worms (Pteronus ribesii Scop.) are present in 

 small numbers, though not causing much damage. Red admiral 

 butterflies continue scarce and others are not so numerous as 

 usual. Potato beetles and their eggs are very abundant 

 on early potatoes. A white frost occurred May 31 and 

 June 1, but did not seriously affect insects. — June 1. Plum 

 curculios ( C o n o t r a c h e 1 u s nenuphar Herbst.) have 

 stung much fruit and considerable is dropping. Cankerw'orms 

 have about all disappeared and have not caused as much injury 

 as in former years. Many farmers think that tent caterpillars 

 hatched during the warm days of March and were killed by the 

 cold weather which followed, or else perished from lack of food. 

 This hardly seems probable, as instances have been recorded where 

 eggs of this species hatched in the fall and the caterpillars suc- 

 cessfully survived the winter in the latitude 'of Missouri. — June 10. 

 There are but few cocoons of the tent caterpillars, and this 

 appears to be due in part to the continuous wet weather of 1902, 

 when the caterpillars ate but little, were not healthy and ap- 

 peared to be only partly grown at the time they spun up. A very 



