364 



ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF ANIMALS 



Pholo by Davison. 



Female tussock moth which 



it has deposited more than two 

 hundred eggs. 



fruit in New York alone, which is only one of the important apple 

 regions of the United States. Among these pests, the most im- 

 portant to the dweller in a large city is the tussock moth, which 



destroys our shade trees. The cater- 



pillar may easily be recognized by its 



^^^ hair}^, tufted body and red head. The 



\ nb^ eggs are laid in what look like masses 



V. ^k _,.^C of foam on the outside of the cocoon 



N|fi&|B ^f^A attached to the bark of a shade tree 



^^^ ^H^ (see the figure). By collecting and 



^W^ ^^ burning the egg masses in the autumn, 



^ we may save many shade trees the 



following year. 



has just emerged from the The larvsB^ of some moths damage 



cocoon at the left, upon which trees by boring into the wood of the 



tree on which they live. Such are the 

 peach, apple, and other fruit-tree 

 borers common in our orchards. Some kinds of beetles pro- 

 duce boring larvae which eat their way into trees and kill thou- 

 sands of forest and shade trees annually. The hickorj- borer 

 threatens to kill all the hickory trees in the Eastern states. 



Among the bugs most de- 

 structive to trees are the scale 

 insect and the plant lice. The 

 San Jose scale, a native of 

 China, was introduced into the 

 fruit groves of California about 

 1870 and has spread all over 

 the country. 



Insects of the House or Store- 

 house. — Weevils are the great- 

 est pests, frequentl}^ ruining tons 

 of stored corn, wheat, and other 

 cereals. Cockroaches will eat almost any kind of breadstuff s as 

 well as clothing. The carpet beetle is a recognized foe of the house- 

 keeper ; the larvae feed upon all sorts of woolen material. The 

 larvai of the clothes moth do an immense amount of damage, 

 especially to stored clothing. Fleas, lice, and bedbugs are among 



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Photo by Davisou. 



Caterpillar of tussock moth. 



