THE NANTUCKET PINE MOTH. 



753 



Fig. 260. — Retinia fnigtrana Sciul- 

 der: Larva, pupa, adult and work. 

 — From Comstock. 



in the bud or into the bases of the leaves, which were also mined; or 

 not infrequently they dropped from the twig, suspending themselves 

 by a silken thread . The bud was often so 

 hollowed that it dropped to pieces almost at a 

 touch. 



"At the time when they were first noticed 

 larvie of almost all sizes were to be found. 

 Some were apparently almost full-grown, 

 while others had evidently not been long 

 hatched. The nearly full-grown specimens 

 measured 8™"^ (0.31 inch) in length. The 

 first pupae were obtained early in June. 

 Most of 'he larvce transformed within the 

 burrows which they had made, first spinning 

 more or less of a silken envelope about them- 

 selves. Others, however, issued from their 

 mines and spun rather tough grayish cocoons 

 between the leaves. The pupae were short, 

 stout, and brown in color, with each seg- 

 ment furnished dorsally with two serrated lines, one consisting of large 

 and the other of fine teeth. 



''The first moths issued June 13, the pupse having previously worked 

 their way, by means of the spines just mentioned, into such positions 

 that they could give forth the moths without injury to the latter, and a 

 few weeks later almost every shoot had one or more of the empty pupa 

 skins protruding from it. Specimens of the moths were sent to Pro- 

 fessor Fernald, who determined them as identical with Mr. Scudder's 

 manuscript species Retinia frustrana. 



"In the latter part of July specimens of the twigs of Finus rigida 

 were received from Mr. S. H. Gage, of Ithaca, which had evidently 

 been infested by the same insect, although no living inhabitants were 

 to be found. In September other specimens were received from the 

 same gentleman, and this time pupae and one larva were found. Ac- 

 cording to Mr. Gage the insect is not very common in that locality. 



"In the latter part of August individuals of the second brood were 

 very abundant in the scrub-pine in the vicinity of Washington. As 

 before, they were found in almost every stage of growth, and the dif- 

 ference was even more marked. In one instance five larvae of greatly 

 differing sizes were found in one shoot. The smaller ones were boring 

 into the bases of the leaves, and the larger ones into the twig proper. 

 The largest of the five had made quite a long channel from the 

 tip of the bud down into the heart of the twig. Pupae were also 

 found at this time, which did not give forth the moth until late in the 

 winter. 



"The usual mode of hibernation is in the i)upa state. A thorough 

 search in January in the field showed only pupae. The pupae collected 

 5 ENT 48 



