Apr. 1, 1918 Laspeyresia Molesta 69 



white dorsal streaks. All these markings are only discernible in perfect specimens 

 and under a lens; ocellus strongly irrorated with white, edged by two broad, per- 

 pendicular, faint bluish metallic lines and containing several small deep black, irregu- 

 lar dashes, of which the foxirth from tomus is the longest and placed farther outward, 

 so as to break the outer metallic edge of ocellus; the line of black dashes as well as 

 the adjoining bluish metallic lines are continued faintly above the ocellus in a curve 

 to the last geminate costal spots; there is an indistinct, black apical spot and two or 

 three small black dots below it; a thin but distinct, deep black, terminal line before 

 the cilia; cilia dark bronzy fuscous. Hind wings dark brown with costal edge broadly 

 white ; cilia whitish ; underside of wings lighter fuscous with strong iridescent sheen ; 

 abdomen dark fuscous with silvery white underside; legs dark fuscous with inner 

 sides silvery; tarsi blackish with narrow, yellowish white annulations. 



Alar expanse: 10 to 15 mm. 



United States National Museum type 20664. 



Adults emerged in 191 7 from April 16 until October 30, though only a 

 few straggling individuals emerged after October 5. 



The preoviposition period for the entire season varied from 2 to 12 

 days, averaging 4.7 days, and there is some evidence that oviposition 

 occurred in a few instances the day following emergence. 



In the rearing cages the moths are quiet during the day, but become 

 active during late afternoon and early dusk. Oviposition began in a 

 few cases between 3 and 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and it usually con- 

 tinues throughout the dusk of evening. 



In order to obtain eggs it was necessary to confine more than one 

 pair of moths in each rearing cage. In one instance eggs were obtained 

 in a jar containing one female and three male moths, but most satis- 

 factory results were obtained by confining about 20 moths with a repre- 

 sentation of both sexes in each jar. 



In no case were eggs produced by isolated pairs. The recorded 

 number of eggs deposited in rearing jars varied from i to 391. The 

 single egg was produced in a jar containing 3 female moths and i male. 

 A jar containing 12 female and 8 male moths produced the 391 eggs. 



Adults are seen infrequently in the orchard during the day, but from 

 late afternoon to late dusk they fly about the upper parts of the peach 

 trees and in sheltered places between the trees. They are most active 

 during early dusk. In the first part of August they appeared in such 

 numbers that they were easily noticed, and by early September they 

 were observed flying in large numbers. Their flight is rapid, erratic, 

 and irregular, though occasionally they dart away in a definite direction. 

 Moths thus seen actively flying were nearly all males. Of eight cap- 

 tured on the evening of August 20, four were females. One stroke of a 

 collecting net captured them from a twig where two moths were seen to 

 alight. Only one other female moth was captured in the field, though 

 a large number of males were taken during August and September. 

 The females in rearing cages fly as vigorously as the males, and there is 

 little doubt that distribution of the insect throughout orchards and from 

 one orchard to another takes place rapidly by means of flight. 



