408 IxEl'OKT OF THE lIoKTICULTUIUST OF THE 



nests or by applying a poisonous spray to the foliage. It is easier 

 to kill the caterpillars by spraying when they are very small than 

 it after they have become large. It is important, therefore, to 

 make the first spraying just before the blossoms open because that 

 is about the time the caterpillars emerge from the egg. The co- 

 coons are quite conspicuous and their destruction will aid mate- 

 rially in lessening the numbers of females to lay eggs. 



For further information relative to these insects and their near 

 relatives, the forest tent-caterpillars, which are sometimes injuri- 

 ous in orchards, consult Bulletins 152 and 159 of this Station. 



BUD MOTH. 



{Tmetocera ocellana Schif.) 



Description and life-history. — The young of the bud moth are 

 small brown caterpillars about half an inch in length. During the 

 winter they live in small, oval, silken cases, attached firmly to the 

 bark of the twig. As the caterpillars are very small when winter 

 sets in, about one-eighth of an inch in length, their silken cases are 

 also small and hence easily overlooked. During this period of 

 their lives the caterpillars are green in color. 



About the time that the buds begin to swell in the spring, the 

 caterpillars come forth and bore into them, thus early protecting 

 themselves against insecticides. As the young leaves and flowers 

 unfold the caterpillars form nests for themselves by tying the 

 leaves together, making their presence quite conspicuous. They 

 do not leave these nests in feeding. During June they reach full 

 growth and change to the chrysalis stage in the nest. In about 

 ten days a small bro^vn moth escapes. This is the adult. The 

 eggs are laid on the under side of the leaves. These soon hatch 

 and the young caterpillars feed on the imder sides of the leaves, 

 protecting themselves by a thin, silken web. Before winter ap- 

 proaches they migrate to the twigs and form the silken cases in 

 which, as above stated, they live over winter. 



