96 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 14 



field and garden varieties and is more particularly a pest of peas grown 

 for the seed than those raised for canning, since the latter varieties are 

 nearly always harvested before the moth begins its activities. 



Seasonal History and Habits 



The winter is spent in the larval stage. On leaving the pods in late 

 summer or fall, the larvae make their way a very short distance into the 

 soil, forming a cocoon of soil particles webbed together and lining the 

 interior with silk. The cocoon is not nearly as strong as the one formed 

 by the codling moth. If stones are in the soil or old straw lying on the 

 surface, the larvae attach their cocoons firmly to these objects. 



In the spring, beginning about June 15th, the first pupae are formed 

 and in about three or four weeks the moths begin to emerge. During 

 the 1920 season the first moths were collected in the field July 12th, the 

 same date the first ones were noticed in 1919. This past season moths 

 were noticed in the field up to July 28. At this time the weather changed, 

 becoming so damp and chilly that very little insect life was active. 

 Within a week warmer days prevailed but diligent collecting secured 

 no adult moths. Of the collected moths kept in the insectary the last 

 one died August 5th, An average of 18 eggs per feinale was secured 

 from 30 females in cages in the insectary. 



About three days after the first moths emerged egg deposition began. 

 In the field the majority of the eggs were fotmd on young pods; quite 

 a few on the leaves; a few on the sepals of young pods; some on the 

 stems ; and also a few on the leaves and stems of grasses growing in the 

 pea fields. From the records of 278 eggs which were deposited in an 

 outdoor insectary, the length of incubation period was found to be from 

 7 to 9 days with an average of 8 days. Within two days from oviposi- 

 tion the red streaks appeared and 5 days later the black spots were formed. 

 In practically every case the eggs hatched the day following the appear- 

 ance of the black spots. The percentage of infertile eggs was almost 

 none. 



The first eggs hatched July 23, the maximimi nvmiber July 27, and the 

 last ones August 1 1 . 



Under insectary conditions the first larvae emerged from the pods 

 August 6, and they continued to emerge until August 29. 



The larval period varied from 10 to 27 days with an average of 18.2 

 days. 



From a study of the life history of this insect it is seen that it is in- 

 active for nearly ten months of the year; only two months time being 

 necessary for development from larval stage to larval stage. 



