NEW YORK EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 381 



Description and life history. — The life history of this insect has not 

 been studied out by the writer. As given by I'rof. Slingerland, in the 

 bulletin above referred to, it is briefly as follows: — Usually the nursery- 

 man or fruit grower is not aware that this insect is injuring his trees 

 until he finds that many of the leaf buds fail to produce leaves in the 

 spring. Upon examination the little brown caterpillars may be found 

 eating out the tender centers of the swelling buds. Later in the season 

 they attack the unfolding leaves, drawing them together with silken 

 threads, as shown at Plate VI, fig. 6. By June the caterpillars are full 

 grown. The pupa stage is passed in these nests, "in a tube of dead 

 leaves," and lasts about ten days. The parent insects are dark ash gray 

 moths, marked with a cream white band across the front wings. In 

 three or four days after emerging the moths lay their eggs. The eggs 

 resemble minute drops of water and are laid singly or in clusters on the 

 leaves. The eggs hatch in from seven to ten days. The young cater- 

 pillars soon begin to feed on the skin of the leaf. They also make for 

 themselves tubes of silk usually along the midrib of the leaf. They con- 

 tinue to feed during July and part of August, devouring only the soft 

 parts of the leaf. During August the caterpillars migrate to the twigs, 

 where they spin silken cases on which to pass the winter. These cases 

 are about one-eighth of an inch long and as they lie close to the bark 

 and resemble it in color, are not readily detected. 



The writer has quite frequently found these cases with their hibernat- 

 ing caterpillars on nursery trees about to be shipped from the packing 

 grounds. It is in this manner that the insect is most readily distributed 

 over the country. 



Remedial measures. — Where practicable the trees should be thoroughly 

 sprayed with Paris green, 1 pound to 150 gallons of water, before the 

 buds open in the spring. Two applications will be found better than one, 

 the object being to keep the buds coated with the poison, so that the 

 first meal of the caterpillars in the spring will be a poisoned one. Ex- 

 periments at this station have shown that the bud moth can be held in 

 check in this way. 



In nurseries, and in orchards also, serious injury may be prevented by 

 cutting out the nests, which are rendered conspicuous by the partially 

 dead leaves. This should be done before the moths come forth, thus 

 reducing the numbers of the next brood. 



