42 DECIDUOUS FRUIT INSECTS AND INSECTICIDES. 



or IK) males appear, the females will continue to await them for 

 several days, during- the time from about 10 a. m. to 3 p. m. 



Oviposition commences soon after copulation and continues through- 

 out the life of the female. On warm sunny days it may begin as 

 early as 8 o'clock in the morning, in the South, and continue at inter- 

 vals through the day until as late as 4.30 p. m. On very windy or 

 stormy days the female is inactive, hiding in the grass in the orchard 

 for shelter, and on cloudy days she is less active than on clear ones. 

 During the period of oviposition she flies very rapidly, and is hardly 

 discernible until she alights on the trunk of a tree ; she then moves 

 slowly over the bark and feels with the end of the yellowish ovi- 

 positor for a rough place or crevice, where she usually places an egg. 

 Ovipositing females are exceedingly difficult to follow with the eye, 

 and in this respect they differ markedly from the comparatively 

 sluggish and more conspicuous females of the peach borer. Further, 

 they are apparently more careful in placing eggs, always selecting 

 a place which will make it easier for the larva to get into the bark, 

 though enough observations have not been made on this to justify a 

 positive statement. 



In flight both sexes resemble wasps and make a distinct buzzing 

 sound. The males are seldom seen. The moths have never been ob- 

 served to feed, except on moisture, and in confinement show no 

 marked attraction to sweetened water. Meager observations made 

 on adults kept in confinement indicate that they probably do not live 



longer than a Aveek. 



SEASONAL HISTORY. 



GENERATIONS. 



The number of generations occurring with an insect of this kind 

 is especially difficult to determine because of the nature of its habits. 

 In Georgia some attempt has been made by this Bureau during the 

 past two years to obtain accurate knowledge on this point by keeping 

 periodical record of specimens taken from a number of peach trees 

 during the entire breeding season. So far, however, the data obtained 

 do not warrant a definite or positive statement concerning the actual 

 nunibei- occurring. They are, however, sufficient to indicate more 

 or less clearly (hat a partial second generation during the breeding- 

 season does occur. 



As ])reviously stated, throughout the winter the larva^ may be 

 found in all instars, excepting perhaps the first, so that recently 

 hatched and nearly full-grown specimens are present, the former 

 indicating late fall, the latter, late sunnner, oviposition. As soon as 

 sirring begins to ()i)en the old larva* connnence to pupate, emerging a 

 month later as adults; the young larva' feed and grow rapidly, j^upat- 

 ing in theii' tui'u, and producing a contiinu)Us supply of moths. The 

 moths from (he hibernating larva' produce another mixed generation 



