Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-07-25
For the Freeman.
Insects Injurious to Vegetation.
Harris.
BY DE- HIRAM 4. CUTTING,

MsAMN&$Sss N ~ 8s WV "
IN vi
M/9HWESiEaHrVfW
All natural size a. caterpillar; b. chry sails; moth
One of the most common and destruc-
tive of our insect pests is the little cater
pillar known by the name of the Fall
Web Worm" or perhaps more commonly
as the Web Worm" The webs Of this,
which at first look seems an insignificant
caterpillar, frequently in the months of
July and August, cover the limbs of many
trees with a web that encoses leaves,
sered and dead, from the ravages of this
pest. They are more often seen upon the
elms and apple trees, but other trees are
not exempt; and towards the end Of sum.
mer, often, most of our fruit and shade
trees show the ominous web enclosing
dried leaves. The eggs from which these
caterpilars proceed are laid by the parent
moth in cluster upon the end leaf of
branch. When these eggs hatch they are
generally on the third or fourth leaf from
the end of the twig, as since the eggs were
laid the limbs have usually extended their
growth to that extent.
AS soon as they hatch they begin 10 spin
70 provide Il shelter for themselves they
cover the top of the leaf with close web,
which is the result of their united lAbors.
They feed in company beneath this cover
ing, devouring only the upper skin and
PUPPY portions of the leaf leaving the
veins and lower side untouched. The leaf
withers and they enlarge their web taking
in other leaves, first to the end of and then
downward, on the branch, and taking in
other branches, frequently destroy the en-
tire amount of foliage on the tree.
When fully grown this caterpillar meas.
ures little more than one inch in length
having body rather more slender than
other similar feeders, very sparsely GOV.
cred with hairs of n grayish color, inter.
mingled with few that are black. The
general color of the body is greenish vel
low dotted with black. There is brown
blackish stripe along the top of the bach
and bright yellow stripe On each side
The warts from which the hairs proceed
are black on the back and rusty yellow OF
the sides. The head and feet are black
OF course their age has much to do will
the distinctness of the markings, and thu
adult worm will only be found perfect,
marked
In the last of August, or more general,
in the month of September, they leave thu
| trees, dispense, wandering about, eating
little of almost all plants they happen /,
meet in their way, until they find suit
5 able place for concealment, where the,
make their thin, almost transparent co
; coons, composed Of slight web of sill
/ intermingled with the cast-off hairs from
their body. If this place is not found the
bury themselves just beneath the surhc
t Of the ground, where they spin as before
and remain in all cases through the white
in this latitude, but further south they M
s said to be two brooded.
The pupa are transformed 10 moths i
The ensuing June or July. These moth
o are white and without spots in Vermont
but at the south are said to possess rud
= mentary spots upon the first pair of wing.
+, The fore legs are tawny yellow, and the
feet blachiSh. Their wings expand abov
l. one and one. fourth inch. The antennt
i and feelers do not differ from those {
J other moths; but the females have tw
u rows Of minute teeth beneath the anter
nae, which is distinguishing feature.
J. From the foregoing description of il
U habits and transformations, it is evidei
that the time TO exterminate these destru
l. tive insects is when they are first hatchc
y from the egg, or while but few leaves al
involved. This can be done at any tin
ID of the day, as they do not 90 about ii
n tree for food like the tent caterpilars, b,
~ are always on the leaves covered with IL
web. If you carefully pick the leaves
NJ is sufficient; or you can cut off the branc
. affected, if you choose. In any eveI
they must be destroyed, and the surest al
, best method is to burn them. Take ba
10 ket into your orchard, gather in it all Il
leaves on which the web is found, tai
them TO Your stove and burn them. Clio
:, attention 10 your premises for few yea
=, will almost entirely rid you of this pes
y On no account delay, as if yon do tn,
.r will slip through your fingers and We
much increase your labors the next seaso
nc If they are neglected until they cover mo
Ia than you desire to prune away, XIII as Y,
!; do the tent caterpillar.
-, Some consider this the second brood
the tent caterpillar, but from the foregoil
h. "SSOuhI IL VIII tl OuCG De seen now wide
-, it differs. 1t hibernates in the pupa stat
80 they in the egg state; it appears in mi
~ summer and fall, they in the spring;
~ moth is pure white, theirs reddish brow
y its eggs are deposited on the leaf al
w. hatch in a few days; theirs are deposit
- on the twig, so as to pass the winter
=; the tree; this feeds solely upon the S,
- parts of the leaf under its web: they
y YOUR the whole lcafalways outside of til,
e. e. tent. 1t will be thus seen that the on
time and best manner of exterminati
must be as above given.
p arm well aware that great ma
es articles that are published in agrcultuI
a papers and written with all truthfuln,