6 
SOME TREE-DESTROYING INSECTS. 
the following spring. In the case of the tent caterpillar, the eggs 
are laid in a ring around the small twigs which make them very 
conspicuous. These also may readily be detected in the fall or 
early in the spring, cut out, and burned. A very important phase 
in the life history of the fall canker worm can be readily taken 
advantage of. The adults of these “loopers” or “measuring worms” 
are moths. Moths appear rather late in the fall, sometimes 
in October, proceed to lay eggs on the trunk and branches of the 
trees in which stage they pass the winter, and then die. The trans- 
formation from “looper” or larva to moth always takes place in the 
soil and the eggs are always laid by the moth on the limbs of such 
trees as bass- 
woods, or elms. 
The female moth 
is wingless, hence 
if the tree to be 
protected has its 
trunk banded with 
a sticky material 
like tree-tangle- 
foot or tar, thou- 
sands of these fe- 
male moths will 
be caught and, 
consequently, no 
eggs will be laid 
above the band. 
Banding in the 
spring will also 
prevent the cater- 
pillars wandering 
from infected to 
non-infected trees. 
Another class of 
aerial insects in- 
cludes those 
which feed upon 
the leaves and 
Fig. 5. Full grown larva and egg mass of the tent caterpillars. branches of the 
