UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
| BULLETIN No. 1028 I 
^£ rn n » r ihntinn frnm the Ttnrpan of EntomoloSY •; 
Contribution from the Bureau of Entomology 
L. O. HOWARD, Chief 
Washington, D. C. 
PROFESSIONAL PAPER 
March 13, 1922 
APANTELES MELANOSCELUS, AN IMPORTED PARASITE 
OF THE GIPSY MOTH. 
By S. S. Cbossman, 1 Entomological Assistant, Gipsy Moth and Brown-Tail Moth 
Investigations. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. 
Introduction 1 
Part I. — Description and life his- 
tory 2 
History . 2 
Distribution in Europe 3 
Description of species 3 
Methods used in biological work- 4 
Life history 5 
Seasonal history 11 
Feeding of parasitized larvae 
versus nonparasitized larva? 12 
Longevity experiments 12 
Hosts of A. melanoscelus 12 
Part II. — Introduction and estab- 
lishment 14 
European work 14 
Comparison of seasonal history 
in Sicily and New England — 15 
Page. 
Part II. — Introduction and estab- 
lishment — Continued. 
Abundance of A. melanoscelus 
in Sicily 15 
Secondary parasitism in Sicily_ 16 
Colonization in New England — 16 
Methods used to obtain material 
for colonization 18 
Success of colonies and distribu- 
tion of A. melanoscelus 21 
Dispersion 22 
Secondary parasitism 23 
The value of A. melanoscelus as 
a gipsy moth parasite 23 
Abundance of A. melanoscelus in 
New England 24 
Conclusion 25 
INTRODUCTION. 
From the year 1905 to December 1. 1911, the State of Massachu- 
setts and the Bureau of Entomology, United States Department of 
Agriculture, shared the expenses involved in carrying on an investi- 
gation of the natural insect enemies of the gipsy moth (Porthetriu 
clispar L.) and the brown-tail moth (Euproctis chrysorrhoea L.) in 
Europe and of the introduction of parasites of these insects from 
1 The writer wishes to acknowledge the efforts of all those who have been connected- with 
the Gipsy Moth Laboratory during the period covered by this report, who have assisted at 
various times in gathering and recording some of the data from which this bulletin has been 
prepared. H. A. Preston and C. E. Hood took most of the photographs and W. N. Dovener 
made the drawing of the adult Apanteles. He wishes especially at this time to express 
his appreciation and thanks to A. F. Burgess, who has general direction of the work, 
for his help and suggestions. 
73070° — 22 1 
