UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology 
L. O. Howard, Chief — 
Washington, D. C. PROFESSIONAL PAPER July 10, 1919 
A STUDY OF COMPSILURA CONCINNATA, AN IM- 
PORTED TACHINID PARASITE OF THE GIPSY 
MOTH AND THE BROWN-TAIL MOTH. 
By JuLian J. Cunver,* 
Entomological Assistant, Gipsy Moth and Brown-tail Moth Investigations. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. Page 
TPCT GCIIC HONG ices ytakls se ahee tae oe 1 Life history—Continued. 
History of Compsilura concinnata Meigen..... 3 AED HONORE NCSIS ain a = eee ace eee oe 1G 
Wescription./- 2. Gee: a sssece eee: cee te 3 Copulatione sce st eacace sence eee eee 17 
Disinibwtionin Wuropessa.-2-e 4s see 4 Wanviposilion=cs cece. as sete eee ese il?/ 
Hosts, European and American.......-. 5 Action on hosts other than the gipsy and 
Importations to United States........... 6 ibrown-tallimothseaseeesn eee eeeeeeeee 18 
Colonizabionss4: Bae eet wee 6 Effect of temperature upon various stages 
SSD ECH Gas he Semen ey soe Aan eet Ul of Compsilura concinnata..-...-....--.- 19 
IRCCOVETY Ass 12.5 Sea ne BR SERA See 7 SeasonalinStonyeeestee seek eae ae eree 20 
Discussion of classification of Compsilura con- Presence in field and number of genera- 
OE Si See IE SSE ae i a aia in ae ae 9 GOT Sse ee shee case eee wa tee es Siar 20 
Discussion of larva stage of Compsilura concin- Fiibernationees.2 saree <cs 28s see ce tee 21 
MOL in Sate side lesan ads a assets acide of ERE LOG) Secondanyeparasitismesae.e- -se ola. eee ee 23 
1 TLE TS 0) e/a sl eae 1 SUP CEDALASIbIS tile tees ee Ae Aah es 23 
Method of handling.......:.:..........2- 13 | Supernumerary parasitism...-.............- 24 
Larva and pupa stages..............----- 15 HCOnOmMIChimpOrianeCaesssseeracnes sete eee ee 24 
OM SUASO en oe we on eesbondeecooene 16%"), Bibliographyces sects 2 sctets ose eck sbseeset 26 
GSMS 0(0) 0 NES Settee ae laa aes ee 16 
INTRODUCTION. 
Compsilura concinnata Meigen (PI. I, fig. 1), one of the imported 
tachinid parasites of the gipsy moth and the brown-tail moth, was 
introduced into Massachusetts first in 1906, at which time these moths 
were so abundant and destructive, particularly in eastern Massachu- 
1The writer wishes to express his appreciation of the help given by the various as- 
sistants at the Gipsy Moth Laboratory as well as by the field men, both at the labora- 
tory and in collecting host material; to Mr. A. Ff. Burgess and Dr. John N. Summers for 
their helpful suggestions and advice; to Mr. R. T. Webber for furnishing rearing records, 
the bulk of the native host list being the results of his experiments; to Mr. C. F. Muese- 
beck for assisting in the dissections and drawings of some of the figures in this bulletin; 
and to Mr. A. M. Wilcox, who furnished large quantities of parasite-free host material 
for use in the reproduction experiments on Compsilura. 
95537 °—Bull. 766—19——1 
