The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-12-15

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OF the Caterplilars.
insect, with gold or brown tips, which
give it its name. Its eggs, laid on the
leaves of fruit trees, are hatched in the
late summer, and soon multitude of
tiny caterpillars are to be found de-
vouring the tender foliage. AS winter
approaches, the caterpillars construct
heavy webs, into which they withdraw
when cold weather arrives, and where
they hibernate until spring, when they
burst forth to complete their growth
at the expense of bud, blossom and leaf.
In June they bring their destructive
careers to an end, and few weeks
later another army of moths emerges
from the cocoons, ready to take up the
work Of devastation.
The pest was brought across the water
upon some plants imported by florist.
It made itself at home Immediately and
proceeded to propagate it's species upon
a wholesale scale. At first II confined
its attention almost entirely to pear
trees. but as the pest increased in num-
bers, other trees were attacked.
The brown tail moth differs In its life
history from the gypsy moth to con-
siderable extent. The female brown
tail. for example, is able to fly freely,
while the female gypsy moth. although
1t has fully developed wings practically
never uses them.
The mating of the brown tail moths
takes place soon after the insects
emerge from the cocoons. early in July.
within q few hours afterward the eggs
are deposited. usually on the underside
Of leaves near the tops Of trees, but
sometimes ON buildings or fences, and
evea under the steps. making 1t . dim
cult matter to lecats the nests for the
purpose a destroying them.
AZ soon ~ the young are hatched,
they commence feeding ON the leaves
whore they fnd themselves, when the
nests are I'M trees. Little by little they
increase their feeding radius, but usual
ly return to their original homo at night.
The brown tail is peculiar in the fact
that the caterpillars attain only half
their growth In one season, alternating
! through tho winter In silken webs of
their own construction. They begin
early to weave these webs, choosing the
ends OF twigs.
The interiors Of the webs are found
to consist of series of little chambers
In which are from six to 20 larvae. The
larvae. or tiny caterpillars, go into win
ter quarters during September, and
emerge again in late March or early
April, according to the state of the
season. The larva molts two or three
times in the fall and four times in the
spring, When fully developed in June
the caterpillars are an inch to an inch
and half in length.
The habit which the brown tail has
of going into winter quarters early each
4 season is distinct advantage to suf-
fering humanity, for 1t makes much
easier the work Of determination. When
\ the trees are barren OF their foliage
! the tents or webs are easily located
and 1t becomes comparatively simple
matter to cut off the twigs on which
! they are found or TO thrust torch into
the tree and consume the web and Its
contents.
The webs must be burned, says Il. ID
harrington. In Country Gentleman
That alone is effective 1t is almost
\ impossible, too, to be sure that all OF tbs
webs In given locality have been de-
stroyed. Some may have been con-
structed In outof-the-way places, ant
| 10 escape. In that case the moths will
soon increase again 80 rapidly that ths
4 whole district win be infested onc'
more,