The Saddled Prominent (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

Edith Marion Patch

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0265837324 ISBN 13: 9780265837320

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

Outbreak-and-life story of a defoliating moth

Discover the Saddled Prominent, an unusual notodontid moth whose caterpillars can strip hardwood forests. This Maine Agricultural Experiment Station bulletin offers a clear, illustrated look at the insect’s life cycle, behavior, and the economic impact of an early 20th‑century outbreak.

The book presents the moth’s description and how its one Maine brood develops from egg to caterpillar to pupa and finally to moth. It explains feeding habits—especially a strong preference for beech—as well as how the caterpillars move, molt, and seek shelter during changes in their growth. You’ll learn how researchers tracked the outbreak across towns and forests, observed predators and disease, and recorded seasonal patterns from spring emergence to summer starvation events. The text uses accessible language and hopes to help readers understand why this insect mattered to forests and fruit trees in the region.
What you’ll experience

• A focused overview of the saddled prominent’s life cycle, habits, and the patterns of infestation.
• Insight into beech and other hardwoods as primary food sources during the outbreak.
• Notes on natural enemies and disease, and the role of predatory insects and birds in curbing populations.
• A historical, field‑based look at how a local scientific station documented and analyzed an insect outbreak.

Ideal for readers of natural history, forest entomology, and historical pest reports who want a grounded, nontechnical account of how scientists study a forest pest and its ecological context.

Ideal for readers of natural history and early 20th‑century forest science who want a concrete, field‑based view of how researchers tracked an outbreak, described the insect, and documented its impact on trees and orchards.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0265837324
• ISBN 13: 9780265837320
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 50