66 



GENERAL ZOOLOGY 



The Gypsy Moth. The dangers of introducing destructive 

 insects from another country are well shown in the case of 

 the gypsy moth {Porthet'ria dis'par). About 1868 an ento- 

 mologist in Massachusetts set free some specimens of this 

 moth. His act has caused the direct expenditure of millions 



of dollars and the loss of 

 many forest and shade 

 trees. Though the fe- 

 male rarely flies the spe- 

 cies has become widely 

 distributed throughout 

 the New England states. 

 The larvae when abun- 

 dant completely strip 

 all the leaves from the 

 trees. 



The Codling Moth. 

 There are several insect 

 larvae which live in ap- 

 ples, all of which are 

 commonly called apple 

 worms. The most im- 

 portant one of these is 

 the larva of the codling 

 moth (Carpocap'sa pomo- 

 nel'la). It has become 

 so widely spread and so abundant in this country that mar- 

 ketable apples can be produced only by following a care- 

 fully timed program of spraying. The larvae are killed by 

 eating the poison when they attempt to eat their way into 

 the young apples. The adult moths (Fig. 44, /, g) become 

 mature about the time that apples are in bloom. The eggs 

 are laid upon the blossoms. As soon as the larvae (Fig. 44, e) 

 are hatched they begin to eat their way into the blossom 



Fig. 44. Stages in the life of the cod- 

 ling moth. (Natural size) 



a, tunnel of larva in apple ; b, point where 

 larva entered the apple ; d, pupa ; e, fully- 

 grown larva; /and g, adult moths; h, head 

 end of larva ; i, pupa in cocoon. (After the 

 Illinois State Natural History Survey) 



