Ellsworth American., 1912-07-17
spRUCE-BUD MOTH.
Devastation of Spruce and Firs
Threatened by Native Insect.

Threatened by Native Insect.
That the spruce and fir trees OF Maine
are threatened with devastation by the
spruce bud moth is the dire foreboding OF
Director Charles ID. Woods, OF the Maine
agricultural experiment station. The
moth is busy in the vicinity OF Ellsworth.
In the woods near senator Hale's home and
near G. L. Morang's house the spruce trees
are alive with the moths.
The trees affected look as IL fire
had seorched over the outer tips
OF the branches, the new tips OF this years
growth having been killed. II the
branches are stirred, cloud OF moths
arise. Doubtless the same is true OF other
sections in the vicinity OF Ellsworth, but
the places mentioned are the only ones
where the writer has happened to notice
the moth. Thousands Of the moths swarm
about the electric street lights at night.
Director Woods writes: "Among the
natives species OF insects which from time
to time cause the destruction of vegeta-
ton, there is perhaps none which at the
present moment is exciting so much atten-
tion in Maine as the spruce-bud moth
/ (fotrir fumiferna), the caterpillar OF
| which is so injurious to the new growth
OF spruce, fir and sometimes OF hemlock
and larch.
"Three years ago the species was re-
corded from New York and Canada, and
became numerous in Maine the following
year. This season the pest is widely
distributed over the State, reports having
been received at the Maine agricultural
experiment station from localities in
Aroostook, Penobscot, Hancock and Pts
cataquis counties, and it undoubtedly oc-
ours in others.
"About 100 years ago the spruces west OF
the Penobscot river and along the coast
were badly injured and many killed by
the attacks OF an insect believed to he this
species. Thirty-fve years ago another
outbreak Of the spruce bud moth occurred,
lasting four or five years. During these
years many OF the spruces and frs along
the coast were affected, many Of the trees,
II not killed outright, later, owing to their
weakened condition, fell prey to the bark
beetles.
"Dr. A. 8. Packard in paper written at
that time says: The pleasure of driving
over this picturesque road, with its strik
ing northern harsh and wild scenery and
frequent glimpses OF Casco bay, in former
years greatly enhanced by riding through
bits OF deep, dark, spruce forests, has been
not little marred by the acres or even
square miles OF dead spruces, stripped OF
their dark sea green foliage, reduced to
skeletons, and presenting ghostly, sad
dening and depressing sight, which
border the road. And, indeed, one may
travel through the spruce forest OF the
coast from Portland to Rockland and meet
with similar sights
"The insect which is responsible for all
this destruction is small caterpillar
about three-fourths OF an inch in length
when full-grown. Its head is blackish;
the body ranges from pale brown to
rich lumber brown; diffused with green,
each joint with several conspicuous
whitish warts, each with a dark centre
from which siugle hair arises. The in
sect pupates from the middle OF June to
early in July, the pupal stage lasting
1 huuut oHc Wechs ny tHe nliouie VI ouis
most of the moths will have emerged.
'sThe miller or moth is about one-half
an inch in length, measuring when spread
out nearly an inch from tip to tip OF wing.
The legs, body and hind wings are glist-
ening lumber brown; the fore wings have a
ground color of BLUSH gray, and when
| freshly emerged marked with several con-
I = l. t.ta Al naka he
eggs, which are laid soon after emergence
of the moth, are pale green, scale-like, fiat
beneath, and slightly convex above. The
caterpillars hatch in July and become
partly grown before the end OF the
autumn, passing the winter among the
| terminal shoots of the tree to finish their
transformations the following June to
July. The damage done in the fall is not
SO conspicuous as that done upon the new
shoots in the spring.
Though no experiments, IS far as we are
aware, have ever been made upon them, it
is probable that the larve may be killed
by an arsenical spray, arsenate OF lead 2
IL pounds, in so gallons OF water applied
in the early fall. This method is Of course
only feasible where there are but few trees
| to be treated. In forest growth We are
obliged to depend upon the help of the
friendly parasitic insects, the ichneumon
| and braconid flies, which fortunately are
quite numerous this year. As one or more
years may elapse before these gain con-
troll, the destruction of some of the spruces
and frs seems to be inevitable"