56 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



The caterpillars of this pest were so numerous on some streets 

 and in parks of these cities as to be extremely obtrusive, occurring 

 thickly on tree trunks, walks, fences and even the sides of buildings. 

 Many of these places now harbor large numbers of the conspicuous 

 white egg masses which, unless removed, give promise of a repe- 

 tition of this plague in 1907. A summarized account of this insect 

 has been prepared and will appear in a special bulletin treating of 

 this species and the equally destructive elm leaf beetle. 



A very interesting condition was observed in Capitol park July 5. 

 Many of the trees were badly infested by the tussock moth, several 

 being almost entirely defoliated, and that morning the ground was 

 rather thickly strewn with leaves and leaf-bearing twigs. Most of 

 the latter bore from three to five or six leaves, and the cut end'^had 

 invariably been completely girdled for a distance ranging from one 

 fourth to nearly an inch in length. This peculiar form of injury 

 was first observed by the late Dr Lintner in 1883, who actually saw 

 caterpillars engaged in the girdling operation. Subsequently ques- 

 tions arose as to whether the depredator was correctly identified. 

 It is gratifying to state that the trees in Capitol park, mentioned 

 above, were infested by practically no other insect, the tussock moth 

 caterpillars were in several instances observed upon the falling- 

 twigs, and there is therefore every reason to believe that this larva 

 was the author of this somewhat anomalous injury. The girdhng 

 was limited, as was also observed by Dr Lintner, to the new growth, 

 and as the past summer has been exceptionally moist, it is barely 

 po'ssible that there is some connection between a rapid succulent 

 growth and this form of injury, since it is only occasionally that the 

 larvae girdle the twigs, as recorded above. 



Spiny elm caterpillar (Euvanessa antiopa Linn.) . 

 This large, dark, red spotted, black spined larva is present in small 

 numbers from year to year on elm, willow and poplar, in particular. 

 Caterpillars were received from different sections of the State, from 

 the latter part of July to the middle of August, and in most instances 

 they were taken for the gipsy moth, Porthetria dispar 

 Linn., an insect which has not become established in the State so 

 far as known. This spiny caterpillar feeds in clusters and, as a 

 consequence, its operations are much more apparent than if it were 

 less gregarious. It is quite susceptible to arsenical poisons and 

 easily controlled by these means wherever such treatment is 

 advisable. 



Elm leaf beetle (Galerucella luteola Miill.). This 



