174 Annals Entomological Society of America [Vol. VIII, 
THE JUNIPER SEED CATERPILLAR. 
Argyresthia alternatella Kearf. 
On September 1, a small caterpillar was found within the 
seeds of the berries at Six-Mile Creek. On February 12 two 
moths emerged, and were identified by Mr. August Busck as Argy- 
resthia alternatella Kearf. He also informed me that the early 
stages and life history were unknown, the moths having been 
collected by. Kearfott in 1908. 
Life History. By May 24 the moths were found flying about 
the trees, and on June 6, eggs were found. These were laid on 
the stems just below the berries (Fig. 6, Pl. XVIII), while a few 
were also found lodged on the tips of the scales. By June 24 the 
berry in cross-section showed three concentric layers within the 
fused scales. It is probable that the outermost layer, being a 
part of the ovule, divides and fuses with the scales to form the 
fleshy portion of the berry. The second layer probably becomes 
the hard seed-coat, while the inner one becomes the endosperm. 
It was in the third layer that the earliest stage of the caterpillar 
was found (Fig. 6, a, Pl. XVII), working its way into the seed, 
while the seed-coat is still soft, and consuming many of the 
seeds. The mature larve feed on the fleshy portion of the mite- 
infested berries and, to some extent, on that of the normal ber- 
ries. The larve become full-grown about September 25 and 
emerge from the berry to build their white, silken cocoons. A 
few, however, were found in the berry October 30, together with 
a parasite in contact with one of them. While digging for the 
pup of the fruit flies, I came across the small, silken cocoons, 
which are formed on the ground, just beneath the grass and 
sometimes attached to small sticks. |The seeds infested by the 
caterpillar seem to be slightly larger and rounded in shape, while 
the mite-infested berries are dumbbell-shaped. 
“Adult.*—Head white, palpi golden, antennez golden fuscus, basal 
joint paler, thorax white, patagia and posterior end golden; abdomen 
and legs whitish-ochreous. - Expanse 10-12 mm. 
Fore-wing. Golden-ochreous, reticulated with brown oblique faciz. 
There are five brown spots on costa, about equally spaced between inner 
6th and outer 5th. There are three similar spots on dorsal margin at 
inner 4th, middle and outer 4th; broken brown facia join the costal and 
dorsal spot, somewhat like a double or jointed letter WV. There is a 
* Description from Kearfott. N. Y. Ent. Soc. 16: 182. 
