The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-07-12
pgsr MAY COME AGAIN.
Seattle Entomoloslst Says Exterminas.
ING War viii Have to be Persistent.

a study OF such pests. He claims an
Intimate acquaintance with the tented
caterpillar, and while giving due praise
to the campaign of Inspector Browns
gendarmes, which wiped the insects
Off the local map. he insists that the
caterpillar fighters have only seotchei
the snake. not killed II, and that, like
Monsieur Tonson. the hairy pest. will
come again. Mr.. Stretch makes rec
Concentrations for a campaign of ex-
termination In letter to the Post-In-
telligencer. which reads as follows:
Mr.. Brown did good work with the
tent caterpillar and incidentally fur
nished the reporters and careful citi-
xens with some amusement but the end
is not yet. II is now up TO the or
chardist to continue the good work.
There are quite a number Of species
OF these tent caterpillars which have
a preference when young for some
special tree as its food plant. although
not very particular as 10 the diet when
Of maturer age. and the parent. moth
in nine cases out OF 10 chooses this
particular tree on which 10 lay Its
eggs, and always on the small, young
er limbs, so that the baby worms may
have tender leaves on which to try
their milk teeth. II having fallen to
my lot in the early SOS to describe the
life history OF most OF the varieties
found on the Pacific coast,and to fur
nish number OF them with their
Christian names. may perhaps be
allowed to suggest that the war against
them may still be profitably carried
on.
THE insect is vulnerable in ail
stages OF its life. both egg. caterpillar
cocoon and moth. The egg belt is laid
in a fat ring, like lot Of beads on
thread wound evenly and tightly
round the slenderer terminal twigs,
and may be removed in the winter
time
Third Stage Interesting.
I'VE all know the look of the tents
made by the young caterpillars GAR
vae), but 1t should be noted that many
Of the worms clustered on the tents
for fully 10 days after Mr., Browns
four-day limit, and until they were
more than an inch long. When they
leave the tent they do not march as
an army, but spread out slowly from
the center of Infection thaving mol
blood relationship with the true army
worms, which are naked and without
hairs), growing rapidly until they are
ready to pass into the third or cocoon
stage. Being very closely allied to the
silk worm OF commerce, the cocoon Is
very similar, only smaller, and when
completed is a compact oval OF white |
silk, sprinkled with sulphur yellow
dust, lightly held in place by thin
open web. 1t is to this stage that
would call attention, as these cocoons
each contain chrysalis, which, II all
lowed to hatch into moth. repre-
sents an average Of 200 eggs and cater
pillars for next season.
"These cocoons are spun In any place
sheltered from the sun, and may be
found in numbers along all fences on
The under side Of the stringers, be-
meath holdings and water tables OF
buildings, under old loose boards and
my open crevices on the trees. Every
,rchardist and gardener should, there
ore, set the children to work hunting
or and destroying the cocoons, out Of
lbundant precaution for next season.
from one gate post have taken eight
# these cocoons, and from the broken
nd Of fence post no less than q in
solid mass. This will give some idea
4 their numbers and the ease with ,
which they may be collected. This
asst batch, represented the destruction I
( some 1000 worms!
TN the last, or moth stage, the In ,
ect is strongly attracted by light on
ark nights, and large numbers COM
nit suicide round camp fires or are
eady TO do 30 If the opportunity Of
ars.
Flies caterpiIIars' Enemies.
Unfortunately, hairy caterpillars
re distasteful to birds, so that our
friends do not help as. The
insect enemy of the tented
aterpillar is large blush gray hairy =
y (Tachina), something like a blue [
ottle Or blow fly, which lays It's eggs
n the worm, generally just back Of
ne head, on the outside OF the skin.
he grub eats it's way inside and lives