Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-08-11
Economic Moths OF Maine
Pupae Studied by Specialist


following was issued today from the
Maine Agricultural Experiment station
by Director Charles D. Woods:
People usually think of the order
Lepidoptera, comprising the moths and
butterflies, as furnishing a large part
OF the beauty and elegance of the in
sect world. The adults, it is true. are
for the most part beautiful and are
very dainty feeders, living almost ex-
clusively on the nectar Of flowers, if
indeed any food whatever is taken in
this stage. Many moths and butter
flies live only long enough to lay
their eggs and then die. The eggs
are laid in various situations, mostly
on the bark or leaves of plants. When
these hatch into the larvae or cater
pillars, as they are commonly called,
we have a creature entirely different as
to food and manner of living from the
butterfly and moth and generally as
repulsive to the majority Of people as
the adults are attractive.
some Of our best known and most
dreaded insect pests. Such species as
the gypsy and brown tail moths, tent
caterpillars and others defoliate forest
and shade trees, various species infest
our orchards and damage all kinds of
fruit. as well as feeding on the buds
and leaves and boring in the trunks of
the trees. The we'll known cut worms
destroy many kinds of vegetables and
even attack fruit trees, as we'll as
damaging the grass crop, while the
army worm belonging to the same
group Is devouring acres of grass and
grain in many states at the present
time. Certain other species of these
insects also infest groceries and stored
grains. they damage clothing and the
extent Of their ravages in year can
hardly be estimated. Caterpillars are
ravenous feeders. no matter what their
food may be, and it is in this stage
that their entire bulk is attained.
When full fed they enter resting
stage. when they are called pupae or
chrysalids. The name chrysalis is
usually applied to the pupa of but
terfly. Chrysalids usually hang free
from leaf or other object. as well
as the pupae Of many moths. but the
majority Of the latter are found in
cocoons of various sorts. There is no
food taken in this stage so the insects
are then quite harmless, and many of
them spend the winter in this condi-
ton. Other kinds Of lepidoptera win
ter as larvae, but most of these spin
a cocoon in the fall and remain in it
all winter as a larva, changing to a
pupa in the spring, From the chrysa-
lis or pupa the adult butterfly or moth
energies. Some have three or four
broods in year, others only one.
Although the larval stage or cater
pillar is that in which the damage is
done, comparatively little has been
done towards helping people to recog
nize them in this stage. There are
few tables for the identification of the
various species the usual custom with
entomologists being to rear the insect
to maturity and then identify it. At
the best this method is time consum-
ing as a long wait is necessary in
order to obtain the adult and consid-
cradle care is required to rear many
species in confinement.
AS to the pupal stage SO little is
known about it that the knowledge is
hardly worth considering when 1t
comes to a matter Of Identifying spec
les. In this stage Identification is cas-
Ter than in the larvae stage and in the
case Of economic species it is great
advantage to be able to correctly iden-
tify pupae. Most new lepidopterous
pests are introduced into the country in
this stage. many coming in on nursery
stock, the cocoons fastened to leaves
or bark or the pupae may belong to
the borers which infest buds or stems,
thus being easily overlooked. If the
species could be determined in this
stage it might often prevent a serious
outbreak. ..l
Many specimens Of pupae are re-
ceived every year at various expert
rnent stations, but they are rarely
identified on account of the difficulty
of recognizing them in this stage.
The Maine Agricultural Experiment
Station is fortunate in securing this
season the services Of DR.. Edna Mosh-
er from the University Of Illinois,
whose studies Of lepidopterous pupae
have made her an acknowledged au-
thority on this subject. Her stay Is to
be devoted to making descriptive keys
for the Identification of the pupae of
economic moths of Maine. This will
be a contribution of permanent value
to this State.