American Forestry Volume 26 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1920 edition. Excerpt: ...ten cuts of wings from "a series of moths showing the variation from the pure white to one profusely dotted with black and brown." It is further stated that "the caterpillars of this moth have quite a number_ of external enemies, which slay large numbers of them." Several cuts are presented illustrating these enemies, as one-of the Rear-horse (Mantis carolina); the Podisus spinosus; also the pupa, larva, and egg of the latter; an egg parasite; the Metcrorus lzyphavztria, with its cocoon----a sort of small, ichneumon-like insect, of which Riley says: "This insect has performed a very good service during the caterpillar plague, and has done much to check any further increase of the Web-worm." A full account of its reproduction and modes of attack is given. Two other insect enemies are also illustrated and fully described--these are an Apanteles and a Tachina-fly. These latter destroyed thousands of the Veb-moth caterpillars during the plague of 1886, when the city of W' a s h ington and parts of its environs was 0 v e r r 11 n by them. "As long as the eaterpillars w e r e young and still small, the different c 0 in munities r e mained under cover of their webs_. and only offended t h e eye. But as soon as they reached in a turity and commenced to scatter, prompted by a desire to fi n d suitable places to spin their cocoons and transform to pupae, matt e r s became more unpleasant. and complaints were heard from all those who had female deposited from four to five hundred of them, and in nature these are found either on the upper or under sides of a leaf selected to receive them. Riley's observations, however, led him to state that "the egg is of a bright golden yellow, quite...