REPORT OF STATE ENTOMOLOGIST, 1 898 ' 167 



by others outside of Albany, is the girdling of elm twigs by the larvae 

 of this insect. This is caused by their eating a portion of the bark 

 around the twig near the beginning of the season's growth. The 

 affected tips soon die, break off, and fall in numbers to the ground. The 

 larvae drop from the trees readily, specially when young, suspending 

 themselves by silken threads, and then may be blown or carried consid- 

 erable distances. When nearly full grown, the caterpillars travel to a 

 great extent, this is said to be specially true of the larger ones, females, 

 and more likely to occur if they are very abundant. At such times there 

 may be quite a migration to other trees. The cocoons are found very 

 generally on the trunks and particularly on the under side of the larger 

 branches. The wingless females, at the time they emerge from their 

 cocoons, attract large numbers of the opposite sex. Dr Lintner records 

 an instance of one attracting 100 males within an hour. Collections at 

 electric hghts in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., by Dr Dyar, show that the males 

 fly during July and into August. 



Food plants. Though this insect is commonly destructive to com- 

 paratively few trees, it has been recorded as feeding on a number of 

 plants, as the following list will show : Linden, "■ geranium {^Pelargonium)^ 

 « grape, horsechestnut, buckeye, maples (specially the soft and Norway), 

 box elder, honey locust, apricot, garden plum, wild plum {Prunus 

 chicasa), garden cherry, choke cherry, rose, pear, apple, quince, ash, 

 castor- oil plant, elm (several species), hackberry {CelHs), sycamore or 

 buttonwood, butternut, black walnut, hickory, oak, birch, alder, willow, 

 poplar, spruce, fir, larch and cypress. Though Dr Howard excludes 

 conifers from the food plants of this insect, the species mentioned above 

 are given on the authority of records by earlier writers. It is probable 

 that farther observation would lead to a much greater extension of this 

 list, and certain ones might have to be thrown out on account of the 

 larvae eating them only under most exceptional circumstances. 



Distribution. This native species 'ranges from Jacksonville, Fla., 

 to Nova Scotia on the eastern coast and extends west certainly as far as 

 Keokuk, la., and probably farther.' (Howard^) It has been recorded 

 as common in Nebraska by McMillan, and Prof. F. L. Washburn (see 

 citation) reports the same from Oregon. 



Other forms of Notolophus. There are several other species in 

 the country belonging to this genus, one of which, JV. definita Packard, 



"^ Not previously recorded to my knowledge. 

 " Year book. U. S. Dej>'t agriculture. 1895. p. 368. 



