April, '14] 



HERRICK: OVIPOSITION OF TWO APPLE PESTS 



191 



bearing a black bristle. Just above the spiracles on each side is a row 

 of black tubercles. The thoracic legs are brownish-green. In the 

 second instar the larva begins to assume the appearance of the adult. 

 The rows of tubercles have become whitish in color and two faint 

 whitish lines begin to show along the dorsum. 



The young larvae eat almost entirely on the undersides of the leaves. 

 They eat small, shallow cavities in the epidermis of the leaf but as 

 they grow they eat holes entirely through the leaf. The larvae under 

 dbservation came to maturity on a diet of leaves and buds. 



The Palmer Worm, Ypsolophus pometellus (or ligulellus) 



In the past the palmer worm has been notable for its "ups" and 

 "downs." Heretofore it has been considered rather an erratic pest of 

 apples but apparently it is becoming a much steadier and more reliable 

 enemy of the fruit-grower. In 1900 it appeared in western New York 

 in great numbers and caused much injury. Since that time it has 

 apparently' been present more or less every year in the orchards of the 

 state and during the past two seasons has been of considerable 

 importance. 



In 1900, Professor Slingerland worked out the life history of the 

 palmer worm in some detail and endeavored to get the moths, which 

 appeared during the first part of July, to lay eggs.^ The moths lived 

 in cages until about November 1, or nearl}' four months, but did not 

 deposit eggs. It was evident that the moths hibernated and Slinger- 

 land hazarded a guess that they laid their eggs in spring on the branches 

 or opening leaves in May. 



On May 21 of the spring of 1913, Mr. R. W. Braucher sent me some 

 moths for identification. He said they were rather numerous among 



the apple trees and that several were in the open 

 air insectary which was located in the orchard. I 

 recognized the moths at once as those of the palmer 

 worm. They were in remarkably fresh condition 

 and the writer at once asked Mr. Braucher to either 

 send several to Ithaca or to confine them in cages 

 there in the field in order to obtain eggs if possi- 

 ble. On the receipt of my letter Mr. Braucher was 

 able to capture only two moths which he confined 

 in an ordinary jelly tumbler on May 27 with a few 

 apple leaves. On the morning of the 31st of May 

 he found a number of eggs on the leaves, which he 

 immediately sent to me. 



Fig. 18. Egg of the 

 palmer worm moth, 

 greatly enlarged. 



1 Bull. 187, Camell Univ. Expt. Stat. 1901. 



