The Moths and Butterflies 



389 



For one hundred and fifty years the peach, an imported plant, has suffered 

 in this country from the ravages of this native pest. One Sesian species, 

 Sanninoidea exiliosa (Fig. 554) is 

 the peach-tree borer of the eastern 

 states, and another, closely related, 

 5. pacifica, works equal injury in the 

 Pacific states. In both species the 

 eggs (Fig. 555) are deposited on 

 the trunk of the tree near its base, 

 in July and August in the East, in 

 April and May in California, and 

 the young larvce (Fig. 556), hatching 

 after a week or ten days, immedi- 

 ately bore in through the outer 

 bark and begin feeding on the 

 live inner bark. When winter 

 comes they cease feeding — in the 

 East at least-and hibernate quies- Fig sS^.-Diagram shovving venation of ^ings 

 _ ^ of bag-worm moth, Thyndopleryx ephe- 



cent, being now about half-grown. merujonnis. cs, costal vein; sc, subcostal 



In the spring thev become active ^''i".; ,''■ P'''=>' ™''?; !"■ "''='"''' '"'^'"^ '• 



' • . cubital vein; a, anal veins, 



agam, feed and grow rapidly, and 



by summer are ready to pupate. Pacifica begins pupating in California 



in February. For this they leave 

 ■^^ their burrows, come out to the 

 rs surface of the bark, spin about 

 frt/ themselves a thin silken cocoon 

 and change (Fig. 557). The 

 ]iupal stage lasts about three 

 weeks, when the moths issue. 

 The clear-winged male moths, 

 expanding i inch, are deep 

 steely-blue, with small golden- 

 yellow markings on head and 

 thorax and abdomen; the larger, 

 heavier-bodied female, expanding 

 a a a "" li inches, has a broad orange band 



Fig. 55,^. —Venation of a Pyromorphici, Pyro- across the abdomen in the fourth 

 mor'piui dimiduilii. cs, co.'ital vein; sc, sub- q^ f^^^\^ segments, and has the 

 costal vein; r radial vein; m, medial vein; . j • 1 1 1 1 • l 



c, cubital vein; a, anal veins. (.^ftcr Com- front Wing.s covered with blackish 

 stock; enlarged.) scales (Fig. 554). The remedy 



for this pesi is the application, by painting on, of gas tar to the basal 

 part of the tree-trunk just before the flying and egg-laying time of the 



