224 LEPIDOFTERA 



The eggs are deposited in crevices or broken places on the 

 bark. The great majority are within six or seven inches 

 of the ground. The larva; soon hatch and bore into the bark 

 and into the soft sap wood. They hve close to the bark for 

 a good share of the time. In some cases they are almost 

 exposed. They do not seem to have developed the habit 

 of boring so deeply as some others. During the autumn 

 they continue this boring, growing somewhat, and hibernat- 

 ing in the larval stage. They go as deep as possible in the 

 winter. In the spring they continue feeding and extend 

 the burrows and complete their lar\-al growth in late spring, 

 mostl\' during May. They pupate within the burrows and 

 are usually so close to the surface that the pupaj have no 

 particular (lifficult>' in getting out of the burrows when ready 

 to change to adults. The length of the pupal life is not 

 very great. The adults commence appearing in midsummer. 

 There is one generation for each year. Treatment for the 

 species has never been very satisfactory. There is no method 

 known at once cheap and effective that can be easily applied. 

 The most effective plan is that of cutting out the larvse 

 from the burrows during the early autumn. A recent plan 

 of mounding the trees and using a barrier applied close to 

 the trunk with an adhesiNe that is pliable and non-injurious 

 to bark, the collar flaring over the mound, is claimed to be 

 effective. 



In the same family are the currant-, maple-, and syringa- 

 l)orers. The food plant is rather restricted usually. 



Handmaid Moths. — Genus Dafana, and species Datana 

 >iiiiil\ira, ha\'e a quite peculiar habit as larva?. The moths 

 are rather neutral-tinted forms and the larvae are quite 

 c()nsj)icuous with a gregarious habit. They occur commonly 

 on apple trees and other orchard trees, and where there is a 

 nest of them the trees are badly stripped. They cluster in 

 large masses and work in a company. At the periods of 

 moulting they travel down the trunk to within a few feet 

 of the ground and all moult at once and leave a large mass of 

 moulted skins which adhere to the bark. After this moulting 

 they travel back uj) the tree to the leafy i)ortions and ha^■e 



