REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST I9OO 963 



society. The latter was the first to publish a description of the larva, 

 and, as the wrong moth was taken by him to be the parent, his name 

 could not be retained for this insect. The true imago would also have 

 been described by Dr Fitch had not Dr Harris anticipated him by a few 

 days. Describing the damage in 1853, Dr Fitch states that the trees 

 everywhere assumed a brown, withered appearance, looking as though 

 they had been scorched by fire. He was also of the opinion that the 

 widespread denudation of forest trees described by Kalm a century 

 earlier was the work of this pest. The above shows most plainly that 

 the insect may cause great damage, and, as the attack is so much later 

 than that of. several of the worst enemies of the apple, there is less 

 chance of the tree being able to recuperate the same season. 



Description. The caterpillar is delicate appearing and is represented 

 much enlarged in fig. i of pi. 2. It is about half an inch long when 

 full-grown and is then usually of a pale green or a yellowish green color. 

 There is a subdorsal line of dusky color. The head may be either yel- 

 lowish or black. The larva is quite variable in coloring. 



The pupa, pi. 2, fig. 2,^is slender and tapers to a spiny tip. It is about 

 one fourth of an inch long. 



The moth is quite variable in appearance, as is evident from the 

 number of times it has been redescribed as new {see Bibhography 

 p. 965). Two of the more common forms are shown in fig. 3 

 and 4 of pi. 2. The typical form is represented in fig. 3 and that 

 described by Dr Fitch as the comrade palmer worm, Y. contuber- 

 nalel lu s, in fig. 4. It is a delicate, little creature with a wing spread 

 of a little over half an inch. The] forepart of the insect is slightly ele- 

 vated when it is at rest. The original description by Dr Harris is as 

 follows : 



Forewings ash-gray, sprinkled with blackish dots, three of which, 

 larger than the rest, are placed, triangularly near the middle ; a dusky 

 transverse band near the tips, and a curved row of seven black dots 

 at the origin of the terminal fringe. Hind wings dusky with a leaden 

 luster, black veins, and very long black fringes. Body and legs beneath 

 yellowish white, with a luster of satin. Length from the forehead to 

 the end of the closed wings y% of an inch. Expansion of the wings f 

 of an inch. 



Life history. Not much has been recorded concerning the life his 



tory of this species. The eggs are unknown. The caterpillars are 



usually first seen about June 8 and disappear in early July. The little 



pests evince a preference for the more tender leaves and shoots and they 



are very active when disturbed. They may usually be found under a 



few threads of silk or in a sheltering fold of a partly eaten leaf or between 



