678 AN INTRODUCTION TO ENTOMOLOGY 



The Mocha-stone moths, Meldlopha. — To the germs Melalophahe- 

 long several species of brownish-gray moths, whose fore wings are 

 crossed by irregular whitish lines. It was these peculiar markings, 

 resembling somewhat those of a moss-agate, that suggested the 

 popular name given above. The larvae feed on poplar and willow, 

 and conceal themselves within nests made by fastening leaves to- 

 gether. Our most common species is the following. 



Meldlopha incliisa. — The adult (Fig. 846) is a brownish-gray moth 



with the fore wings crossed by three irregular whitish lines. The basal 



line is broken near the middle of the wing ; and the intermediate one 



forms an inverted Y, the main stem of which joins the third line near 



the inner margin of the wing, making with it a prominent V. These 



lines are bordered without by rust-red; there is a chocolate-colored 



spot near the apex of the fore wings, and an irregular row of blackish 



j^ ^g^ dots near the outer margin. The hairs of 



^||^^^S y<^gj^^a the thorax form a prominent crest, the fore 



^^H^H^K^^^ side of which is a rich dark brown. The 



^SH^hEHSb hind wings are crossed by a wavy band, 



^B^BB^Il^ which is light without and dark within. 



w The eggs are nearly spherical and smooth ; 



Thev are deposited in a cluster a single layer 



fi«if ■" "" ^^^P °^ ^ 1^^^ (^^g- ^47)- ^^^^ ^^^ 1^^^^ 



hatch they make a nest either by fastening 



several leaves together or, as is the case when they infest poplar, by 

 folding the two halves of a single leaf together; frequently in the latter 

 case the tip of the leaf is folded in as shown in the figure. Within 

 this nest the entire colony lives, feeding on the parench\Tiia, and 

 causing the leaf to turn brown. Later other leaves are added to this 

 nest or additional nests are made among adjoining leaves. All of 

 these infested leaves are securely fastened to the twig by bands of 

 silk. When the larvae become large they leave their nests at night 

 to feed upon other leaves. These they entirely consume excepting 

 the petioles, midribs, and larger veins. We have seen on poplar 

 a nest composed of only three leaves which contained one hundred 

 and twenty-five 

 half-grown larvae; 

 all of the leaves, 

 about thirty in 

 number, arising 



from the end of the ^, .^ 



branch bearing this ^^^ v 



nest had been con- 

 sumed. 



The full-grown 



larv^a measures 3S-c>-c t? 1 ^ ^ c ht 1 1 1 ■ ■, 



• 1 ^u t:: Fig. 847. — Eggs, larva, and nest of Melalopha tncliisa. 



is striped with pale yellow and brownish black, and bears a pair of 

 black tubercles close together on the first abdominal segment, and a 

 similar pair on the eighth abdominal segment. The cocoon is an 



