THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



35 



SOME NOTES ON THE CATALINA CHERRY MOTH. 



By 10. J. Branigax. 



While doing some field work for the State Inseetary in Lo.s Angeles 

 County last August, I came across some fruit of the Catalina cherry 

 (Primus integrifoUa) at Sierra Madre, badly infested with the larvae of 

 a moth very nuieh resembling the codling moth. Adults were reared 

 and later sent to Dr. A. L. Quaintanee of the Bureau of Entomology in 

 Washington, who determined them as Mellissopus latiferreana Walsing- 

 ham. 



Tlie adult in size and appearance is very similar to the codling moth. 

 It differs, however, in color, being a duskj^ terra cotta, while the two 

 marks on the wings are brown, with bronze reflections. 



The eggs resemble those of the codling moth in color, size and general 

 appearance, and are laid on the fruit. 



The larvas are also like those of the codling moth, excepting in color. 

 They are a very light shade of pink when fully matured, the earlier 

 stages being a dusk}^ white. 



Fig. is. — The adult of the Catalina cherry 

 nioth, MelUssoi)us latiferreana Wa.lsinsham, 

 on cheiry. Aliout natural size. (Photo Ijy 

 Harolfl Compere. ) 



The insect pupates in the ground just at the siu'face. The cocoon is 

 made of silk, with an outside coating of pebbles and sand. The pupa 

 itself is at first a light yellow, but with age turns to a dark brown. 

 Like the codling moth, this insect passes the winter in the larval stage 

 within the cocoon. 



I collected one cocoon, which contains the small white cocoons of a 

 Microgasterine parasite. The adults, however, had emerged. 



