The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1901-06-05
The Apple Tree Tent Caterpillar.

Persons owning orchards, or those
who have walked through any OF the
wooded sections near town. may have
observed an unusually large number OF
trees bearing "white silken tents form
ed in the smaller crotches Of the trees"
which when torn open reveal TO the eye
hundreds Of caterpillars. At present
many Of our trees have been divested OF
every leaf by the voraclous appetite OF
these insects commonly known as the
apple tree tent caterpillar. From re-
cent agricultural report we clip the fol-
lowing concerning IL:
This insect, though familiar every
whore in Pennsylvania, is not usually
so abundant as TO cause serious loss, al
though in adjoining states IL is great
nuisance. II not only feeds on the ap-
pie, but also on the peach, cherry, plum,
wild cherry and other trees, and is cas-
lily recognized by the white silken tents
formed in the smaller crotches OF the
trees by the caterpillars. These are
formed in the spring, however, and can
therefore be easily distinguished from
those formed by the web-worms, which
appear in July and August, at a time
when the tents Of the tent caterpillars
have entirely disappeared.
The insect passes the winter in the
egg. In the spring about the time the
leaves appear, the eggs hatch, and the
little caterpillars select some fork In
which to begin their tents, and from
which they spread in all directions to
feed, returning TO the tent at night, and
often, also between morning and after
noon excursions for food.
AS they become larger they enlarge
the tent until IL is very noticeable OBJ
ject, and wherever they go they spin
a thread, as though for the purpose of
providing a guide for them to follow
back to the tent by In this way they
feed and grow for five or six weeks, at
the end of which time they are nearly
two inches long.
About the middle OF June, or perhaps
little earlier, the caterpillars cease
feeding, leave the web, and seek for a
place in which to spin their cocoons.
Within the cocoon the caterpillar trans
forms into the adult moth, process
which takes from two TO three weeks,
after which the moth appears.
The eggs are now laid on twig OF q
tree in broad band entirely around
the twig, each band containing two or
three hundred eggs. At the edges of
the band, it tapers down close to the
twig, by which the egg mass may be
distinguished from similar egg masses
laid by certain other insects. The eggs
remain in this condition during the re-
mainder Of the year and hatch the fol-
lowing spring.
The injury caused by this insect is to
the leaves, and as full grown cater
pillar will consume two leaves day,
nest Of them will destroy five hundred,
or over, each day. The effect of this
upon the tree, when the tents are
abundant, is quite serious, the energies
VI thO tiSSi lhSNcdu VI OcluS ulTccIcu
towards maturing the fruit, being de-
voted TO the production OF new leaves to
replace those it has lost.
The apple tree tent caterpillar is for
tunately not difficult insect to deal
with. Its tents are easily seen, and the
habit the caterpillars have OF returning
to them at night renders it simple
matter to destroy them all while gath
cred together, by the use of torch at
night, or before eight o'clock in the
morning. The method mentioned above
of gathering and destroying the egg
masses is also an excellent one, and
should be made use of during the win
ter months, when the trees are bare,
and the egg masses may be more easily
seen. Spraying the tree, particularly
in the neighborhood of the nests, with
Paris green, is also effective. Several
parasites prey upon this insect and aid
in keeping it in check, and II it appears
in injurious numbers at any time, it
may be considered solely as the result of
neglect.