INSECT ENEMIES OF EASTERN FORESTS 435 
as arborvitae, yellow birch, blueberry, wild cherry, maple, oak, and 
spruce are sometimes attacked. 
The moths emerge late in August and September. The females lay 
an average of about 100 eggs each. These are deposited singly or in 
groups of 2 to 3 on the twigs or needles, or in crevices of the bark. The 
winter is passed in the egg stage. Hatching generally takes place 
early in June, and the larvae become full grown in August or early 
in September. The larvae in all instars spin, and when disturbed 
drop and remain suspended for some time on their silken threads. 
A considerable number of the needles are cut off near the base, or only 
one side of the needle is eaten, which causes the remaining part to dry 
up and drop to the ground. Pupation may take place in crevices of 
the bark on the trees or in the duff on the ground, and the moths 
emerge about 3 weeks later. This is a serious pest of hemlock and 
balsam fir, particularly in stands where these trees predominate. One 
complete defoliation is fatal to hemlock or balsam fir, and there are 
many records of large tracts being ruined during outbreaks of the 
pest. Between 1924 and 1928 severe outbreaks occurred in Michigan, 
Wisconsin, New York, and Maine causing a heavy mortality of hem- 
lock on a great many acres. De Gryse and Sched! (/29) and Watson 
(425) published accounts of this insect and its habits in Canada. 
The moth of Lambdina athasaria pellucidaria (G. & R.) is smoky 
to ash gray in color and has a wing expanse of about 1144 inches. The 
head and front of the prothorax is ochreous and the body ash colored 
with an ochreous tinge. The forewings are crossed transversely by 
two irregular diffuse dusky lines, the discal dot between them, and 
the outer line shghtly sinuate. The hind wings have a line which 
appears as a continuation of the outer line of the forewings. The 
full-grown larva is 1 to 114 inches long and pale straw to greenish 
yellow with black markings, which vary considerably in intensity. 
The head is densely marked with dark and light-brown frecklelike 
spots, and the body markings are as follows: The dorsal area is of the 
ground color with faint irregular longitudinal stripes composed of 
blackish dots and short wavy lines; the sides to below the subventral 
fold have similar stripes but they are blacker and more distinct, es- 
pecially a lateral one; the subventral fold is pale, sometimes with an 
orange tinge; the tubercles and spiracles are black; and the venter is 
pale with faint, dark lnes. The cervical shield and legs, except the 
anal claspers, are the color of light honey. Some specimens are much 
darker, the dorsum tinged with reddish brown and the sides almost 
entirely black (fig. 91, 7). 
This species was reported in 1900 and 1902 from the Atlantic States 
by Dyar (14/2), who recorded the food plant as yellow pine. Local 
outbreaks occurred in stands of pitch pie on Cape Cod, Mass., in 
1913, 1922, 1932, and 1933, and on Long Island, N. Y., in 1933, and 
in a plantation of red pine in Connecticut, in 1942-43. The moths 
emerge in May and June, the eggs are laid on the needles, and the 
larvae become full grown late in September. Pupation talkes place 
in the duff beneath the trees in September and the insects pass the 
winter in the pupal stage. 
Lambdina athasaria athasaria (Wlkr.) is also a looper on hemlock. 
The moth has a wing expanse of about 114 inches and is similar in 
