Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-07-18
AGRICULTURAL.
IT, Appearance. Chnngcs and Rnv"Ecs
nescrtbed,

- Appearance, Chnngcs and RnvnEes
DrScribed.
We see good deal about the gypsy moth
i'm the pnupr. uf late ] for one should ike
to learn more about the pest. where It came
from and how long 10 has been ravaglng
and what kind of trees and vegetation u
feeds on and "a description OF the worm
mud the mature moth ! remember good
many wears ago @ caterpillar. that had
great resemblance to the tent caterpillar,
that ioraped through our orchards ana
woodland. tu such AN extent that apple
trees 200 July were M bare OF leaves as ~
winter Boo some localities, aud maple trees
also were equally laid bare Of their leaves,
aud perhaps other trees, but do not re'"l-
Irct to what extent. On leaves that were
left ON the trees after the ravages OF the
cnterpillnrs ceased would be found chrys
ais nentl, rolled up which Matched out the
moth late ian the season and they we're very
numerous, living about among the trees for
SOME time after We expected that the
next wear every green leaf would he eaten
mo aud when the next years leaves ap
prarrd saw them at work, and could
hear them iu the trees while at work ne
vuuriuu the leaves This was early IN June,
I think but IN a few days they entirely Ills
supearrd aud nothing Of the kind has been
spsp here until two wears ago hut 1t may
mot have been the same moth. They did
not spread themselves over the town AS he-
fore. and ] do not see any Of them this year.
The next spring following the work OF lhe
worms very little maple sugar was made
~ was. I think IN the wear 1871 Maybe
,our ryusv moth will disappear in "A similar
manner tu the method allude to 90. q.
paur. South Rnudol,h w. m grange
Hpmrs
Description.
To the above the editor of Grange Homes
reptile, with this description Of this danger
ous pest which has brought havoc in por
tions Of Massachusetts The males are of
vellovish brown color. with two dark
brown lines crossing the forewings one at
the basal third, the other on the outer third,
someV hat curved. and with teeth pointing
outwards on the veins The outer end OF all
the wings Is dark brown A curved dark
brown spot rests "A little above the middle OF
the wing and "A small round spot OF the
same color is situated between this and the
hasc of the wing, Just outside Of the inner
cross, line a similar spot rests near the
middle of the base Of the wing The
fringe. ou the forewings are dull yellowish
and broken 10y eight brown spots The
antenuu are strongly feather like. The
forewings expand about an inch and "A half.
The females are pale yellowish white,
with dark brown cross lines and spots sim
liar to those of the males. The cross lines
iu both sexes are much darker and more
prominent ON the forward edge of the
wings than elsewhere The body is much
stouter than in the males, and the antenna
are not so heavily feathered The eNpanse
of wings is from one and three.fourths To-
two and three.fourths inches
The eggs are glohular, about one eight
zenith Of an inch in diameter nearly salmon
colnred, and with smooth surface They
are laid on the under side Of the branches,
on the trunks Of the trees, often below the
surface of the ground where the latter has
shruuk away from the tree, and not unfre-
queutly on the fences or on the sides of
buildings They are laid in oval or rounded
masses. and covered with ochre yellow hairs
from the abdomen of the female The eggs
are laid IN the early part of july, hut do
not hatch till the following spring. The
caterparS remain together feeding upon
the leaves. and when not feeding they habit
uav rest side log side on the branches and
trunks of the trees
The full grown caterpillar is about an
inch and three fourths in length, very dark
brown or black, finely reticulated with pale
yellow There is pale yellow line along
the middle of the back and similar one
along each side ON the first six segInents
following the head there is blush tuber-
Gle armed with several black spines on each
side Of the dorsal line, and on the remain
ing segments these tuhercles are dark Grim
son-red On the middle of the tenth and
eleventh segments there is a smaller red
tubercle notched at the top. The whole
eurfapa pf the hn1v IL epfnaurbat bafry- hint
along each side the hairs are long and form
quite dense clusters
The pupa is from three fourths of an
inch to an inch in length, and varies in color
from chocolate 10 reddish brown On each
side, mt the base of the wing covers, is "A
dark reddish brown, oval velvetv spot
There are a few vellowish brown hairs on
the face and head, also on the first five seq
ments arranged in broken circles or clus
tiers The moths emerge from the pupa
from the first to the middle of July
The gypsy moth is abundant in nearly all
parts Of Europe and the caterpillars eat
pretty much every kind of foliage, destroy
ing gardens, shade trees and shruhbery
This pest was accidentally introduced into
New England in 1870 bv Mr. L. Trouvelot
now living in Paris, hut at that time living
near Gleuwood, Medford, where he at
from our native silk worms and also intro
duced European species for the same pur
pose The fact that this insect has now
been In tins country for the last 20 wears
and has not only held its own, hut has mul
tiphed to such an extent rs 10 canse the en-
tire destruction of the fruit crop and also
TO delohate the shade trees IN the infested
region is sufficient cause for alarm The
opinion was expressed to Prof Fernald by
prominent entomoogists in Europe that if
the gypsy moth should get foothod in this
country it would become far greater pest
than the Colorado potato beetle, because it
is 50 prolific, and feeds on so many different
plants, while the potato beetle confines itself
TO IA small number
All the masses of eggs should he scraped
from the trees and other places where the
females have deposited them and burned
This should he done in the fall, winter or
early spring before the eggs hatch 1t is a
habit Of these caterpillars, after they have
emerged, to cluster together on the trunks
or branches of trees between the times of
feeding, and this affords an opportunity of
destroying vast numbers by crushing them
and after they have changed to pupm they
may he destroyed wherever they can be
found The female moths are so sluggish
in their flight, and so conspicuous, that they
may he easily captured and destroyed "a,
soon as they emerge yet any one or all OF
these methods which have been employed
in Europe are not sufficient for their exter
mInation At best they will only reduce
the numbers more or less according to the
thoroughness with which the work has beer
done
killing the CANADA ThiatIe.