Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-11-28
THE GYPSY MOTH.
Facts About the Pest Which Now
Threatens Maine.

facts ABOUT the rest winch Now
Threatens Maine.
With the report that the gypsy moth
has made its way over the boundary line
OF the State, and there seems to be but
little doubt that the report is correct, the
people OF Maine are confronted with ~
pest compared with the ravages of which
those Of the brown-tail moth are reduced
to the minimum, for while the latter at
tacks only certain kinds OF vegetation,
the gypsy moth attacks and destroys
everything in sight in the line OF vegeta-
ton, including nearly every useful grass,
plant, flower, garden or field crop, fruit,
shade or forest tree which grows in the
State, and is a menace to the agriculture,
horticulture and forestry OF the entire
| country. This moth is considered the
most fearful insect pest in America.
The department Of agriculture is maxi
ing preparations for conducting some
thorough work in York county, where the
presence of the moth is reported, with a
view to heading it off at the point where
it has commenced its inroad, and il pos
sible to check it before it has a chance to
spread to other localities, and no pains
will be spared to make the investigation
complete in every detail. Prof. E. F.
Hitchings will conduct the work, and it is
hoped that the pest can be halted and de-
stroyed where it is.
In connection with the above the fol-
lowing description of the pest may he
timely. The appearance of the male and
female of the gypsy moth is very different,
for while the female is about two inches
across the wings and of grayish white
| in color, with black markings on the
| wings, the male is smaller and blackish
brown in color, with black markings on
the wings. The body of the female is
light buff and that Of the male black and
| brown. The female of the gypsy moth,
however, can readily be distinguished
from other white or whitish winged moths
| of similar size by the fact that, though she
| often hutters her wings, she never really
| flies.
The eggs of the moth are laid in August
and in clusters of 500 or more, and are de-
posted upon trees, shrubs, boulders,
in rubbish heaps and many other stu
atoms, and as they are laid the female
mixes and covers them with down from
her body and finally moulds them into a
cluster. These egg clusters ordinarily re-
semble to the eye and touch small, silk
like cushions of a bright buff or "sponge"
color, but they are sometimes bleached
nearly white or stained quite dark by the
weather. When examined closely they
are not easily mistaken. The lives of both
the male and female moths are very brief,
the female dying soon after she has laid
her eggs.
| The egg clusters remain where they are
| formed through the winter and the greater
part of the spring, Matching into caterpil-
lars in May. These are very small on
Matching, but grow rapidly and feed upon
whatever vegetation is at hand. AS they
grow they periodically shed their skins,
and about the middle of July many of
| them have attained length of about two
inches, while others are larger or smaller.
About the last week in July the bulk of
| the caterpillars have changed into the
pupua or chrysalia form, in which they
remain about two weeks before changing
into winged moths. During the first half
of August the bulk of the moths crawl
from the pupa skins or "cases'', leaving
them hanging empty. Then the female
| lays her eggs, and having completed her
mission, dies.
Gypsy moth caterpillars of any age are
decidedly hairy. When first Matched the
bodies of the tiny caterpillars are quite
light in color, but in few hours they
darken to brownish or grayish hue. The
head of the caterpillar is large in proper
ton to the body, this being especially
noticeable when the caterpillars are small.
The gypsy moth caterpillar is easily iden-
titled by double row of blue spots fol-
lowed by double row of crimson spots,
for no caterpillar in New England except
the one in question is spotted with blue
and crimson. 1t should be remembered,
however, that the gypsy moth caterpillars
when quite young and small appear to the
ordinary observer to be unspotted, and
until they grow the length of an inch and
a half they do not always show the Grim
son and blue spots very distinctly.