120 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 10 



the males are polygamous and their number is always sufficient to 

 provide for the fertilization of all the females. Mating as a rule takes 

 place very shortly after the emergence of the females from the pupa 

 and almost invariably before they come to light, for of the large number 

 of females taken at light and confined, a practically negligible number 

 failed to produce fertile eggs. 



Dissections of ovaries of females of several species includingteterrellus 

 have shown that at the time of emergence of the moth from the pupa 

 each of the eight ovarian tubes contains about ten fully formed eggs 

 ready for fertilization and about twenty-five more in process of develop- 

 ment. Leaving out of account the fact that, with some species, more 

 egg cells may and undoubtedly do develop as the mature eggs are 

 voided, the number of theoretically possible eggs from one female of 

 this species is about two hundred and eighty. This is well borne out 

 by actual records. The largest number of eggs recorded from one 

 female of this species is 323, these from a moth reared and mated in 

 captivity. They were laid at the following rate: 132 the second day 

 after emergence, then successively 79, 50, 43, 17 and 2, the moth dying 

 the eighth day after emergence. The largest number of eggs secured 

 from a moth taken in the field was 268, the largest number from a 

 moth taken at light 250, this number being obtained from a moth 

 taken in copula at a lighted window. From the great number of 

 individual records of egg-laying moths it is concluded that a moth 

 laying 200 or more eggs in confinement has not laid before the evening 

 of capture, and is therefore practically a fresh moth. Of 76 moths 

 taken in the field whose detailed egg records were kept, 16, or 21 per 

 cent, laid over 200 eggs each after capture. Of 179 moths taken at 

 light at various times throughout the season, only 8, or 4.5 per cent, 

 laid over 200 eggs each. The average number of eggs obtained from the 

 76 moths taken in the open field was 117, of the 179 moths taken at 

 light, 69. These figures all unite in pointing to the conclusion that 

 moths of this species usually have laid a large part of their normal 

 number of eggs, probably about 75 per cent, before they are attracted 

 to light. 



Do these moths, especially the females, feed after emergence and 

 can they be attracted to a poisoned bait? This point was tested by 

 several experiments conducted in different ways but along the same 

 general lines. As the results are very similar it will suffice to give the 

 details of one. Seventy-five female moths taken on one evening at 

 light were placed individually in 2-ounce tin salve boxes in three sets. 

 The boxes of set A were left empty and dry, those of set B were sup- 

 plied with a small wad of absorbent cotton fastened to the inside of 

 the cover with a drop of melted paraffin and kept saturated with water, 



