:;ss 



INJURIOUS AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS OP CALIFORNIA. 



THE BROWN DAY MOTH 

 Pseudohazis eglanterina Boisduval (Family Saturniidae) 



(Figs. 388, 389) 



Description. — The eggs are salmon-colored and laid in clusters 

 around small stems or branches, as shown in Fig. 388. The larva? are 



dark or nearly black with 

 fine lateral red stripes 

 and red spots on the 

 dorsum. The bodies are 

 covered with branched 

 spines, the upper row 

 being short and rosette- 

 like. When full-grown 

 they are a little over 2 

 inches long. The chrysa- 

 lids are dark reddish- 

 brown and about 1 inch 

 long. The adults are 

 beautiful yellow moths, 

 b 1 e n d e d with red or 

 salmon color and regu- 

 larly marked with black, 

 as shown in Fig. 389. The 

 thorax is deep orange ; 

 the dorsal half of the 

 abdomen is yellow and 

 the ventral half red. A 

 blaek band encircles each 

 segment. The posterior 

 end has a long tuft of 

 yellow and red hairs. 

 The antenna? of the female are orange, and those of the male brown. 

 The legs are yellow with black spines. 



Life History. — The eggs are laid in the spring upon various fruir 

 trees, wild trees and bushes. The young attack the foliage, often 

 entirely or almost entirely defoliating the plants. When full-grown 

 the larva 1 seek the ground, where they pupate and thus pass the 

 winter, emerging early in the spring as adults. These are often seen 

 flying during the day. 



Nature of Work. — The caterpillars feed upon the young buds and 

 leaves. 



Distribution. — This moth oceurs throughout the entire State, but is 

 more abundant in the Sierra foothills and in the Sacramento and San 

 Joaquin valleys, in the central part and in the San Bernardino and 

 San Jacinto mountains, in southern California. 



Food Plants. — This species attacks a great variety of both wild and 

 cultivated trees and shrubs. Prune trees have often been severely 

 injured, the young larva' destroying the first appearing buds. 



Control. — The egg masses are very conspicuous and great numbers 

 of them may lie easily destroyed by hand picking during the spring. 



Fig. 3SS. — The brown day moth, Pseudohazis eglttn- 

 t< rina Boisd. Pupa, larva and hatched eggs. Enlarged 

 one and one fourth times. (Original) 



