86 



MISC. PUBLICATION 



U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



trees, it may attack spruce, fir, Douglas 

 fir, hemlock, and larch in many parts of 

 the country when grown in ornamental 

 plantings around the home. One form 

 attacks jack and Scotch pines in the 

 Lake States and in Ontario, Canada. 

 The overwintering larvae become active 

 about the time that the buds burst into 

 growth in the spring. The mature 

 caterpillar (fig. 146), which is nearly an 

 inch long, has a rather stout, thick, 

 dark-brown body provided with yellow- 

 ish-white warts. The moth is dull gray, 

 with brownish or reddish markings on 

 the front wings, and is in flight and lay- 

 ing eggs during June or July. 



Figure 146. — Feeding work, empty 

 pupal skins, and adults of the spruce 

 budworm. Inset, larva, or cater- 

 pillar. Natural size. 



Treatment. — Spray with lead arse- 

 nate as soon as the new shoots begin to 

 develop in the spring, or while the 

 caterpillars are still feeding on the 

 needles. 



Spruce Sawflies 



Several species of sawflies feed on the 

 foliage of spruce. In general appear- 

 ance and habits they are similar to the 

 pine sawflies discussed on page 68. 

 The European spruce sawfly (Diprion 

 hercyniae (Htg.)) occurs throughout the 

 northeastern part of the United States 

 and produces two or three broods of 

 larvae in a season. The larvae, being 

 light green, are not easily seen among the 



needles. Other species occasionally oc- 

 cur on spruce in other parts of the 

 country. 



Treatment. — Same as for pine saw- 

 flies (p. 68). 



Spruce Needle Miners 



The small caterpillars of the spruce 

 needle miner ( Taniva albolineana 

 (Kearf.))bore into and mine the needles 

 of blue, Norway, and Engelmann 

 spruces. Later they cut off the mined 

 needles and web them together into a 

 nest of silken strands and frass (fig. 147). 

 This species prefers to work near 

 the inner part of the tree. It is widely 

 distributed and is especially injurious 

 on ornamental trees, infesting the entire 

 crowns and causing much disfigurement. 

 The small, brownish adult moths appear 

 in May and June, depending on the 

 locality. The larvae, soon after hatch- 

 ing, bore into the green needles at the 

 base and feed. They continue their 

 work throughout the rest of the summer 

 until early frost. They hibernate as 

 larvae in the hollowed needles within 

 the webbed nests and resume their 

 feeding early in the spring. The mature 

 caterpillars measure about % inch and 

 are reddish brown or green, with shiny 

 yellowish-brown heads. 



Vr 





Figure 147. — Spruce foliage webbed 

 together by the spruce needle miner 

 (Taniva albolineana). Somewhat re- 

 duced. 



