80 DECIDUOUS FRUIT INSECTS AND INSECTICIDES. 
FLIGHT, FEEDING, AND MATING. 
The moths for the most part fly within a few feet of the ground 
and move in an erratic way, dashing from place to place or from tree 
to tree. Individuals flying into or over the tops of large trees are 
only rarely seen. Males are often found buzzing and hovering 
around trap cages in which females are confined. Both sexes are 
extremely active and hard to catch. Moths are often seen resting 
on leaves or on trunks of trees. 
' Moths have never been observed in the act of feeding. Drops of 
sweetened liquids and honey were placed on apricot leaves in the 
trap cages, but the moths were never seen even sipping at this. 
| Mating occurs as soon after the moths have emerged as the male 
and female can come together. Individuals from separate rearing 
jars only a few minutes after issuing from their cocoons were observed 
to copulate as soon as they were placed together in the same rearing 
cage. In one instance a male which was known to have mated a few 
hours previously was placed in a cage with a newly issued unim- 
pregnated female. Both alighted on the ground and copulation took 
place immediately—so quickly, in fact, that one could not follow the 
movements. The individuals remained in copulation 1 hour and 20 
minutes. The previous copulation of this male had lasted 1 hour 
and 17 minutes. Other matings have been observed to last as long 
as 1 hour and 30 minutes. Copulation was observed many times. 
OVIPOSITION. 
Female moths begin to place their eggs within a few hours after 
emerging from the cocoons. They have been observed in rearing 
cages to mate during the forenoon and to place eggs in the after- 
noon—never later than the following day. Within two or three 
days oviposition is completed and the moths die. 
The rearing cages for the life-history study of the insect were about 
2 feet square and 6 feet high, with wire-mesh cloth on all sides. They 
were placed over small apricot trees which had been planted for this 
purpose in the back yard of the insectary. (See Pl. IX.) The 
moths thus introduced were out of doors, could fly and mate under 
almost normal conditions, and it was found that oviposition and egg 
development could be watched easily. 
Within the rearing cages the moths placed their eggs at random, 
on the small trunks, stems, and leaves of the trees, and even on the 
inside of the cages. Most of the eggs, however, were placed on the 
underside of the leaves. A moth would fly to a branch and rest on 
it for a few minutes, and after placing a few eggs would quickly fly 
away and soon repeat the operation. Eggs were placed sometimes 
singly, but mostly in groups of from 2 or 3 to 25 or 30 or more. A 
moth was observed to alight on a leaf, place 2 eggs in about 10 seconds, 
and then fly away. 
