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Show (The Tent Caterpillars Have Social Habits And Are Colonizers (By L. F. Nuffer, U. A. C.) The tent caterpillar is a very harmful harm-ful pest forall orchardists. Careful i attention will prevent damage from this pent, however Some knowledge of the habits of the tent caterpillar I and the best artificial method for con-1 trolling it will enable the farmer to; protect his trees. The tent caterpillar is a native of America and has been a pest since the heglnning of colonization, causing epidemics epi-demics every few years." If there in not enough feed in the forest they in vade orchards, stripping th- trees of leaves. The winter is spent in the egg stage Thoy hatch with the early opening of leaf buds The larva of caterpillars are about inch long and occur in colonies of from .r0 to 400, depending upon the number of eggs laid and thatched. They are very social in hab-it hab-it Usually the entiro brood from an) i 1 g patch go out aji some small branch and construct a tent of silk. This tent Is added to as fast as the caterpillars caterpil-lars grow, until they sometimes reach, i the extreme size of two feet, They feod ! upon the -teaves. entirely devouring them The larVac become full grown jin about two months or about June jor July, depending upon weather condi-1 'tions. Th larvae remain in the tent i during the hot clay and stormy weather! weath-er! usually feeding at night or early i 'morning. If the food supply runs out Ion one limb, or three, they go to another an-other by crawling from one limb to another an-other down the tree to the ground and (hen to another. ! The full grown caterpillar is about two inches long. It is blackish -with! I white wedge-shaped spots down the' middle of the back forming a row. When it is full grown in spins a white .cocoon covered with a yellowish dust.1 This is usually placed in curled leaves or else in some protected crevice. In ( a few days the larva changes Into fi brownish pupa covered with a brown-, brown-, ish putresence. The pupal period lasts about three weeks. The moths emerge ' as a dull reddish brown insect with an oblique brown band across the first wings. The wing expanse of tho fe-male fe-male Is from l'-j to 2 inches; the male 'somewhat smaller. The moths mate' and the eggs are laid within a few j days. The eggs are laid in bands around the small twigs. The size of the hand ;is about Ji inch in width. The eggs ;are laid ou end and aro 1.25 of an inch 'in length. They ar a silver yellow With a golden brown froth covering them. The egg mass contains from I j l.'.O to 400 eggs. The eastern tent caterpillar is black With a wedge-shaped row of white markings down the back: the moun- I tain cateripUar is black with a yellow-, yellow-, Ish white stripe along the back, and the- western caterpillar is blue black 'with a bluish white stripe along the back ten cfcjerpillar hae m n Ural enemies, including mites, bottles, and sucking bugs. The larva are fed upon by many birds and toads, The following method of artificial control is vevy effective: Spray the trees with arsenate of i lead 8 pounds to 100 gallons of wator. while the Ian a are still small. Usually Us-ually the arsenate of lead spray applied ap-plied for the- codling moth will get the tent caterpillar. Prime off all egg patches. Prime off the tents or else burn i them with a torch. |