THE LEPIDOPTERA 



249 



The little white or brown and white moths which are so numerous in grass 

 fields during the summer months, belong here. On alighting on a grass stalk 

 they place their bodies parallel to the stems and fold their wings closely about 

 them. Their larvae feed on grass and are sometimes quite injurious, corn and 

 oats suffering severely. Early fall plowing and replowiug early the following 

 spring are helpful under such conditions. 



Three species are often found in houses attacking flour, meal, cereals and 

 dried fruits. One species, the Mediterranean Flour Moth (Fig. 245) {Ephestia 

 kuhtiiella Zell.) spins a web which causes flour to stick in loose masses, and in mills 

 and storage houses this becomes serious. The other two species are more liable 

 to be found in dried seeds, fruits, etc., and often cause considerable injur}-. In 

 storage houses and mills fumigation with Hydrocyanic acid gas is often used as a 

 control, and if the place can be heated to 125° F. for about 6 hr., this also has 

 proved eflfective. 



The Bee Moth {Galleria mellonella L.) also belongs here (Fig. 246). It is an 

 enemy of the bee-keeper li\dng in the bee hives where it feeds on wax and spoils 

 the honey. Strong colonies of bees can usually protect themselves from this 



Fig. 246. 

 Fig. 247.- 

 (Original. ) 



Fig. 246. Fig. 247. 



—Adult Bee Moth (Galleria mellonella L.), natural size. (Original.) 

 —Cocoons of the Bee IMoth from the inside of a hive. Natural size. 



pest, particularly the Italian races. Where necessary, the bees can be transferred 

 to another hive and the infested one fumigated with Carbon disulfid (Fig. 247). 



The European Corn Borer (Pyrausta nubilalis Hbn.). — This pest of corn and 

 many other plants has only recently been discovered in this country, and in 1920 

 was found only in parts of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Xew York, 

 Pennsylvania and Ontario. It is a borer in plant stems, in which it winters as 

 a partly grown larva (Fig. 248), finishing its feeding and pupating (Fig. 249) in 

 its burrow in the spring. The moths appear in June and lay 300 or 400 eggs in 

 small clusters on the leaves of their food plants and the larvae tunnel in the stems 

 (Fig. 250), becoming full-grown in about 6 weeks and the moths these produce 

 appear in July. Eggs for another generation are now laid and the larvae feed 

 until wanter, when they hibernate in their burrows. In some places, instead 

 of two generations each year there is only one. 



The moths spread from about an inch to an inch and a quarter. The male is 

 rather dull purplish or reddish-brown with yellow spots or a band on the fore 

 wings and gra>ash hind wings. The female has dull yellow fore wings more or 

 less marked with brown, and grayish-brown hind wings. The moths fly most 

 freely about dusk and are only slightly attracted to lights. 



