New York AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 377 
Predaceous insects.— Several species of predaceous insects feed 
upon the caterpillars, usually attacking them when crawling down 
the trunk of the tree or upon the ground in search of a suitable 
place to spin their cocoons. Among the most important in this 
State are the large ground beetles, Calosoma scrutator Fab. and 
Calosoma calidum Fab., and the spiny soldier bug, Podisus spino- 
sus Dallas. Although these insects are very voracious and feed 
readily upon the caterpillars they are not usually sufficiently 
abundant to materially lessen their numbers. 
Parasitic insects.— Of much more importance than the preda- 
ceous insects as a check to the apple-tree tent caterpillar are 
the parasitic insects which prey upon it. Both the eggs and cater- 
pillars are attacked, as at least one species, T’elenomus clistocampae 
Riley,” is known to prey upon the eggs. 
Parasites attacking the caterpillars usually occur in sufficient 
numbers to be of some real value in checking the increase of the 
species. These useful little insects were evidently very abundant 
last summer. Out of 559 cocoons collected by the writer and 
brought into the laboratory, only about 20 per cent produced 
moths leaving 80 per cent victims of the parasites. The following 
species were bred from the cocoons, Pimpla conquisitor Say (Plate 
XXXII, Fig. 3, male and female natural size) Pimpla con- 
quisitor var., Pimpla pedalis Cr.,* Theronia fulvescens Or.,\4 
Sprlocryptus (Cryptus) extrematis Cr., Mesotenus sp.,1* Dibrachys 
baucheanus Ratz., was also reared -in small numbers but this is a 
secondary parasite. In addition to the above Pimpla annulipes 
Brullé, Theronia melanocephala Brullé, and according to Felt,” 
A panteles congregatus var. rufocoxalis Riley and the parasitic fly, 
Frontina frenchw Williston, are known to prey upon this insect. 
_ Diseases.— At least one well-marked disease sometimes reduces 
the number of these tent caterpillars. It is bacterial in its nature 
12U. 8. Natl. Museum Bul., 15, p. 450. 
13 Determined by Miss A. M. Beach. 
14 Determined by Mr. W. H. Ashmead through courtesy of Dr. lL. O. Howard. 
15N. Y. State Mus. Bul. 23, vol. 5, p. 183, 
