PARASITES OF GIPSY-MOTH CATERPILLARS. 



195 



ered to be different from the European. Absolutely no differences in life and habit 

 which can serve to separate the two are known, and, as the adults are also indistin- 

 guishable in appearance, they are considered to be identical. 



It has been the subject of frequent mention under the name of Apanteles, as well as 

 of Glyptapanteles, in the various reports of the superintendent of moth work, from 

 the first to the fourth; and Dr. Howard, in the account of his first trip to Europe in the 

 interests of parasite introduction, tells of its occurrence in the suburbs of Vienna. 

 Largely on account of the fact that it is much more conspicuous than many of the other 

 parasites, it has attracted more general attention. The Rev. H. A. Loomis, a mis- 

 sionary, and resident of Yokohama, was the first to call attention to its importance in 

 Japan, and made several unsuccessful attempts to send it to America. Dr. G. P. 

 Clinton, mycologist of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, who visited 

 Japan in 1909, observed the parasite at 

 work, and reported most favorably upon 

 its efficiency as a check to the moth. Nu- 

 merous other attempts on the part of Euro- 

 pean and Japanese entomologists, including 

 one elaborate experiment which involved 

 the shipment of a large wire-screened cage 

 containing a living tree with gipsy caterpil- 

 lars and the parasite, were made, but with 

 uniformly ill success. Upon every occasion 

 the parasites all emerged from their cocoons 

 and died en route. 



When every other means failed, Prof. 

 Kincaid, as already stated, was deputed to 

 visit Japan, and to make all necessary ar- 

 rangements for the transportation of the 

 parasite cocoons in cold storage to America. 

 The arrangements which he perfected pro- 

 vided for continuous cold storage, not only 

 en route across the Pacific, but during 

 practically every moment from the time 

 the cocoons were collected in the field in 

 Japan until they were received at the 

 laboratory in Melrose. Events justified the 

 adoption of every precaution, and, with all 

 the care, only a small part of the very large 

 quantity of cocoons which he collected 

 reached their destination in good condition. 

 Hundreds of thousands were collected and 

 shipped, and less than 50,000 were received 

 alive — nearly all in one shipment in July. 



The season in Massachusetts was early, 

 and nearly all of the gipsy caterpillars had 

 pupated by that time, so that there was no opportunity for the parasite to increase in 

 the field upon this host that season. In 1909 the sites of the colonies were frequently 

 visited, but not a single parasitized caterpillar was found which could be traced to 

 colonizations of the year before. Keen disappointment was at first felt, but later 

 developments have tended to throw a more encouraging light upon the situation. 



In 1909 importations were continued, through the magnificent efforts of Prof. S. I. 

 Kuwana, of the Imperial Agricultural Experiment Station at Tokio, with much more 

 satisfactory results. In 1908 the season in Japan was very late, and it was not practi- 



Fig. 33. — Apanteles fulv ipes: Cocoons surround- 

 ing dead gipsy-moth caterpillar. Slightly en- 

 larged. (Original.) 



