Smyrna times., 1931-08-05
LEOPARD MOTH MAKES ITS
APPEARANCE IN DELAWARE
INSECT MUST BE FOUGHT TO
SAVE THE SHADE TREES
These Dreaded Pests Which Play
Havoc, Once They Get Started,
Are Declared Hard to Combat

p6dTdnC6 III OGldWdIe III SUuICISAC
numbers to cause concern to shade
tree owners has been brought about
by the finding of many seriously
affected highway shade trees along
the Philadelphia Pike north of
Shellpot Park, according to the
State Forestry Department. The
presence of this shade tree pest in
Delaware was first brought to the
attention of the State Forestry De-
partment in 1880 by Willard
Springer, Jr., of Wilmington, who
reported damage to some Ameri-
can elm trees on Crescent street,
Union Park Gardens, Wilmington.
+ Upon examination of the trees and
specimens, State Forester w. S.
Taber identified the damage as the
work of the leopard moth and no
titled Wilmington officials to be
on the watch for future depreda-
ton. No attacks were reported
until a few days ago when c. c.
Reynolds, superintendent of the
State Police, reported injury. to
the four-year-old elms planted
along the highway on Penny Hill
and brought specimens of damage
to the Forestry Department for
Identification. Last Thursday Mr.
Taber and Mrs. Reynolds spent sew
eral hours inspecting the trees and
instructing road maintenance
crews on control methods to be
used in saving the trees. The most
conspicuous sign of this insects
work is manifested in the presence
of dead or dying limbs projecting
above leafy branches or broken
and hanging limbs in otherwise
healthy trees. Early stages of the
attack may be recognized by swol-
len areas on the limbs where quite
often the bark has dried and sep
arated because of the excavation
of the larva working beneath.
Very often, in newly attacked
trees, the only outward sign of the
caterpillar's presence is a small
hole not over 3-16 inch in diameter
/ in the bark which has been sealed
over with a grayish or yellowish
membraneouS web. This web ap-
parently serves to protect the cat
erpillar from the attacks of birds
and parasitic insects. The insect
is quite easily recognized by the
work of the white or pinkish cater
pillar which during the first season
seldom exceeds one inch in length.
I 1t is marked with numerous well
defined black tubercled spots along
the body; brown head and thor
acic color. Short stiff hairs grow
from most of the tubercles and
both the head and the posterior
portion are quite hairy. Caterpil-
lars three inches long may be
found in the larger limbs just be-
fore the pupa stage of the second
season. The quiescent pupa stage
takes place in the burrow just be-
meath the bark which has been
eaten nearly through by the larva
before going into the pupa stage
Before the adult appears, the pupa
works itself part way out Of the
burroW and upon emerging leaves
the empty case protruding from
the wound. The adult is a blue
and black spotted moth having a
wing spread of two to three inches
the female being the larger. En-
ergence and flight occurs from
June to September. The minute
salmon colored eggs are deposited
in crevices of the bark or at the
base of buds; a single female is
capable of depositing from 300 to
1000 eggs. When a young cater
pillar enters twig it usually tun-
nels a cavity just beneath the
bark; the expelled frass held to-
gether by web indicates the point
of entry. AS the caterpillar grows
and continues the gallery, the first
holes are sealed over with a mem
braneous web and new holes may
or may not be made. Hence, these
web sealed holes serve as small
VI lIlt
ence of the caterpillar. The leop-
ard moth has been found to attack
a large number of trees and
shrubs but it shows a marked pre-
ference for elms and naples. Those
observed in Delaware have been on
the species mentioned. Control of
this insect approaches the impos-
sible in large trees since it is quite I
impossible to reach the larva with /
poisonous sprays and the adult
does not feed. Badly infested +
trees and limbs should be cut and
Immediately burned to prevent mi
grafton to unaffected parts. Young
trees may be saved by cutting (
away the injured bark and by
means of thin, flexible wire /
which has been barbed by chipping
with a knife. following the burrow
until the caterpillar is punctured .
or brought out on the barbs. When .
the caterpillar cannot be killed in
this way pure carbon bisulphide /
should be injected into the excava- I