/ CIRCULAR No. 464 MARCH 1938 \ 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



WASHINGTON, D.C. 



THE GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS AND THEIR 



CONTROL 1 



By A. F. Burgess, principal entomologist, Division of Gypsy Moth and Brown-Tail 

 Moth Control, and W. L. Baker, assista?it entomologist, Division of Forest Insect 

 Investigations, Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine 



CONTENTS 



Page 



The gypsy moth 1 



History of the pest in the United States 1 



Conditions of infestation in New England-- 5 



Life history 6 



Injury caused by the gypsy moth 8 



Food plants 9 



Means of spread 13 



Effect of climate 14 



Native enemies 15 



Introduced parasites and other enemies 15 



Control methods 16 



Recent control work in New England and 



New York woodlands 23 



Record of clean-up of outlying colonies 23 



Extermination project in New Jersey 25 



Extermination project in Pennsylvania 28 



The brown-tail moth 29 



History of the pest in the United States 29 



Life history 31 



Food plants 31 



Injury caused by the brown-tail moth 32 



Page 



The brown-tail moth— Continued. 



Native enemies 33 



Introduced parasites and other enemies 33 



Effect of low temperatures 33 



Methods of control 33 



Recent control efforts 34 



Organization and status of work against the 



gypsy moth and the brown-tail moth 34 



Maine 34 



New Hampshire 



Vermont 



Massachusetts 



Rhode Island 



Connecticut 



New York 



New Jersey 



Pennsylvania 



Dominion of Canada 



United States Department of Agriculture- 

 Cooperative work 



THE GYPSY MOTH 



HISTORY OF THE PEST IN THE UNITED STATES 



In 1869 a number of egg clusters of the gypsy moth (Porthetria 

 dispar L.) were brought from France to Medford, Mass., by a French 

 mathematician aDd astronomer, who had the idea that he could cross 

 this insect with silkworm moths and thus develop a hardy race of 

 silk-producing insects. In the course of his rearing experiments some 

 of the eggs were accidentally lost or some of the caterpillars escaped, 

 and he made at that time public acknowledgment of this fact, evidently 

 appreciating the danger. 



The insect increased slowly at first. After 10 years it seemed to 

 have been noticed by local residents but was believed to be some 

 native caterpillar. Not until the summer of 1889, or 20 years after 

 its introduction, did this insect become so abundant and destructive 

 as to bring it into general public notice. At that time fruit and 

 shade trees were completely defoliated, and the caterpillars, swarming 



1 This circular supersedes Farmers' Bulletin 1623, The Gipsy Moth and the Brown-Tail Moth. 

 35349°— 38 1 1 



