284 



Bulletin 311 



Unfortunately, no data are at hand regarding the ntimber of eggs 

 deposited by a single moth, but Fig. 71 shows four clusters undoubtedly 



deposited by a single female. Sanderson found 

 that a closely related species, A. rosaceana, 

 laid 45 to 650 eggs with an average of 305 to 

 a single moth. 



Our records show that the eggs hatched in the 

 spring of 191 1 from May 4 to May 7. R. W. 

 Braucher found the eggs hat9hing in the field in 

 abundance on May 9. There would probably 

 be some variation in the time of hatching from 

 season to season, depending on the backwardness 

 or earliness of the spring. Stedman says that 

 they hatch in Missouri in the latter part of 

 April and the first part of May. Gillette finds 

 that in Colorado they hatch in the latter part 

 of April and in time to begin feeding on the' 

 very young leaves. Sometimes they appear 

 on cherries early enough to damage the buds 

 considerably before the latter burst. 



TJ2e caterpillar. — The caterpillars gnaw 

 through the thick coat of varnish over the 

 eggs, leaving the mass full of tiny holes and 

 The 



Fig. 71. — Egg patches de- 

 posited by a single female 



of a light gray color, 

 empty egg masses (Fig. 72) 

 are very conspicuous because 

 of their light color. Our 

 observations show that all 

 the caterpillars of a single egg 

 mass emerge about the same 

 time. 



The young larva is about 

 one twenty-fifth of an inch 

 long, light green in color, with 

 a very large black head and a 

 wide, dark-colored prothorax. 

 The body is sparsely covered 

 with long, slender hairs some- 

 what noticeable along the 

 sides. When full grown, the 



Fig. 72. — Empty egg masses 



caterpillars measure from seven eighths of an inch to practically one 

 inch in length. The mature larvae (Figs. 61, 66) vary considerably in 



