-REPORT=OF *THE. ENTOMOLOGIST. 253 
THE ZAPPLE COLEOPHORA. 
(Coleophora mativorella, N. sp.) 
[Ord. LEPIDOPTERA ; Fam. TINEDDZ.] 
(Plate VII, Fig. 1.) 
In the early part of June, 1877, I received a letter from Mr. William 
Fairweather, of Densmore Apple Farm, McLane, Erie County, Pennsyl- 
vania, in which he complained bitterly of the ravages of a certain case- 
bearing worm, specimens of which accompanied the letter. 
Its method of work and the amount of injury done by the insect may 
be gathered by extracts from this and subsequent letters from Mr. Fair- 
weather : 
June 12, 1877.—1 noticed it as soon as the buds began to swell, and it seemed as if there was one of 
each bud on almost every tree in the orchard. They are now attacking the fruit, eating a hole into the 
young apple formation and devouring the interior, leaving it a perfect shell. * * * Since writing the 
above I have examined some of the trees and found a great many of the limbs denuded of leaves, espe- 
cially in the smaller trees, and a large number of the top shoots of tho larger ones have never budded 
out, the buds having apparently been stung by the insect, and are now hollow and decayed. 
June 22, 1877.—In addition to my former communication I have to say that the larve have now left 
the leaves, apparently satisfied with the amount of damage they have done, and taken up a fixed abode 
on the twigs. In our orchard of over 8,000 trees there is scarcely one which is not more or less infested. 
The small and weakly trees seem to suffer most, some of them having their leaves like perfeot skel- 
Scouse 
July 7, 1877.—I find on examining the trees that the case-bearers have left their cases. They ceased 
working in the leaves about the time I sent you the last lot (June 22) and must now be flying about in 
the moth state. Inoticed them first about the 1st of April, when the buds were commencing to shoot 
forth, and it seemed to me asif the eggs were laid right on the end of the bud, and as soon as it burst 
open the caterpillar was ready to commence active operations. * * * I noticed that the black ant, 
which is a vigorous foe to a good many species of caterpillar which attack the apple tree, is powerless 
against this pest, on account of the tough case or shield under which it carries on its destructive 
operations. 
May 8, 1878.—It is worse this year than last, and has rendered large numbers of trees nearly leaf- 
less. The eggs are apparently laid on the end of the young bud before it opens, the leaves being thus 
attacked before they have a chance to grow. * * * It seems proof against insect enemies with its 
horny cover. : 
July 3, 1878.—At this season they get mostly out of sight. They have mostly finished eating the 
leaves now. 
From the facts thus communicated; from observations made upon 
specimens sent by Mr. Fairweather, and from the known and quite con- 
stant habits of the genus to which the species belongs, we are able to 
give a pretty full account of this fresh addition to the already long cat- 
alogue of insects injurious to the Apple. 
The moth (Pl. VI, Fig. 1, d), which, with the other members of the 
family, is a night-flier, issues from the chrysalis from the first to the 
middle of July. Judging from the well-known habits of the closely 
allied European anatipennelia the female doubtless lays her eggs upon 
the under surface of the leaf, and the young larve hatch out in Septem- 
ber, and live upon the under surface of the leaves until frost. They 
form pistol-shaped cases, which are very tough—almost horny in con- 
sistence—being made of silk, mixed with a small amount of excrement 
and with debris of leaves. The inside lining is, however, of pure, whitish 
silk. The posterior end of the case is curved as in the figure, and in 
the outer edge of this posterior curve is a longitudinal slit or orifige 
which the elasticity of the substance and-the peculiar curve of the case 
