INSECT ENEMIES OF EASTERN FORESTS 443 
inches in length. The head is hght colored, and the body short and 
Hat. It is rather densely clothed with long, soft hairs, so that it 
appears about one-half as broad as long. Some of the hairs have 
stinging propensities and may cause much discomfort when in contact 
with the human skin. The seven pairs of prolegs are borne by 
abdominal segments 2 to 7 and 10; but those on segments 2 to 7 are 
without hooks. The cocoons are parchmentlike in texture. 
The three species treated here are rather common, and sometimes 
abundant locally in some areas in oe eastern part of the United States. 
The puss caterpillar 
(Megalopyge  opercu- 
laris (A. & §.)) has a 
rather wide distribution 
throughout the States 
south of Virginia. The 
moth is yellowish- 
brown, the forewings 
marked with dark 
brown, particularly 
toward the anterior 
border. There are long, 
wavy, white hairs on the 
wings, especially along 
the veins. The larva is 
densely clothed in long, 
vellow and reddish- 
brown or mouse-gray 
hairs, those near the 
posterior end being 
tufted to form a sort of 
bavilie tor Oo.e A) hts 
food plants include the 
foliage of citrus, hack- 
berry, elm, plum, syea- 
more, oak, rose, and 
other deciduous trees, 
ae SID. EDS enya Figure 95.—The puss caterpillar (Jlegalopyge 
feed gregariously for a opercularis) eer At Full-grown caterpillar ; Bb, 
few days, skeletonizing cocoon opened to show beveled cap, or operculum. 
the fohage. In later 
instars they devour the entire leaf. Sometimes this species becomes 
humerous enough im the south to cause noticeable defoliation, but it 
is principally injurious because of its sting. The severity of the sting 
increases with the growth of the larva. Bishopp (29) describes this 
caterpillar and discusses the effects of its sting. 
There may be two generations in the south. The maximum number 
of grown larvae of the first generation seem to occur in June and 
July and those of the second generation in September and October. 
Apparently there is more or less overlapping of the generations, and 
probably some strains have only one each year. This species passes 
the winter in the prepupal stage within the cocoon which is usually 
spun on some part of the host tree (fig. 95, B). Pupation takes place 
in the spring, and the moths emerge “from April to June. The num- 
