RELATION OF PARASITE ATTACK TO THE COLONIAL HABIT OF HYPHANTRIA CUNEA

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Abstract
Parasitism of Hyphantria cunea Drury was measured over a 17-year period in a series of permanent study areas in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The percentage of colonies attacked by parasites was independent of both plant host and colony size, but the percentage of larvae attacked within colonies decreased in the larger colonies. For most parasite species the percentage of larvae attacked per colony was relatively constant, regardless of the percentage of the colonies attacked in any area or year. Thus the colonial habit of H. cunea imposes a limit on the overall degree of parasitism that can be achieved by most of the parasite species.