CONSIDERATIONS FROM STUDY OF INSECTS 263 



of $250,000,000. Fortunately, the United States Department of 

 Agriculture are at work on the problem, and, while they have not 

 found any way of exterminating the beetle as yet, it has been 

 found that, by planting more hardy varieties of cotton, the crop 

 matures earlier and ripens before the weevils have increased in 

 sufficient numbers to destroy the crop (see page 62) . 



The bugs are among our most destructive insects. The most 

 familiar examples of our garden pests are the squash bug ; the 

 cliinch bug, which yearly does damage estimated at $20,000,000, by 

 sucking the juice from the leaves of grain ; and the plant lice, or 

 aphids. 



Some aphids are extremely destructive to vegetation. One, the 

 grape Phylloxera, yearly destroys immense numbers of vines in 

 the vine3'ards of France, Germany, and CJalifornia. 



The Hessian fly, the larvae of which live on the wheat plant, was 

 introduced accidentally by the Hessians in their straw bedding 

 during the Revolution, and has become one of our most serious insect 

 pests. 



Insects which harm Fruit and Forest Trees. — Great damage is 

 done annually by the larvae of moths. Massachusetts has already 

 spent over $3,000,000 in trying to ex- 

 terminate the imported gypsy moth. 

 The codling moth, which bores into 

 apples and pears, is estimated to ruin 

 yearly .s3,000,000 worth of fruit in 

 New York alone, which is by no means 

 the most important apple region of the 

 United States. Among these pests, 

 the most important to the dweller in 

 a large city is the tussock moth, which 

 destroys our shade trees. The cater- 

 pillar may easily be recognized by its 

 hairy, tufted red head. The eggs are 

 laid on the bark of shade trees in what 

 look like masses of foam. (See Figure.) 

 By collecting and burning the egg masses in the fall, we may 

 save many shade trees the following year. 



Other enemies of the shade trees arc the fall wcbworm, the forest 



Female tussock moth which has 

 just emerged from the cocoon 

 at the left, upon which it has 

 deposited over two hundred 

 eggs. Photograph, slightly- 

 enlarged, b>- Davison. 



