18 



which the latter dies. As soon as it issues the maggot spins in the 

 silken case of its host a tough white nearly transparent cocoon of 

 an ellipsoidal shape and measuring about one-fourth of an inch in 

 length. Shortly after this it casts its skin and assumes the chry- 

 salis form, from which the perfect fly issues in from one to two 

 weeks. 



This fly — the Microdes carinoides of Cresson— expands about five- 

 sixteenths of an inch ; the Avings are transparent, slightly clouded, 

 and have a golden and green reflection ; the body, head and anten- 

 nae are black; at the base of the abdomen below is a honey-yellow 

 spot ; the coxae of the hind legs are black, those of the other legs 

 are yellowish-brown ; the femur, or thigh of each leg, is yellowish- 

 brown, and those of the hind legs are marked at the tip with a 

 small dark-brown spot ; the tibiae, or shanks, are pale-yellow, with 

 the exception of the lower one-half of the hind tibiae, which are 

 blackish ; the hind feet are dark-brownish, marked with small blackish 

 spots ; the remaining feet are pale-yellow, tipped with black. The 

 female is provided at the tip of her abdomen with a black oviposi- 

 tor, which is nearly as long as her body. The male I have never 

 seen, but it is probable that he closely resembles the female with 

 the exception of being * entirely destitute of the long ovipositor. 



In regard to artificial remedies for keeping these Bud-worms 

 within due limits, the only one which suggests itself to me is to de- 

 stroy the worms before they have left their burrows, as they are 

 much easier found at this time than after they have deserted them 

 and constructed their cases upon the leaves. As they usually infest 

 the buds which grow at the terminal end of the lower branches, 

 these may be easily cut off and collected m a basket or other con- 

 venient receptacle and burned. The time for doing this will vary 

 with the different seasons, and in different latitudes. The past sea- 

 son (1881) I found a great many in their burrows on the last day 

 of May; two weeks later the most careful examination failed to dis- 

 cover a single specimen in the burrows. From this it will be seen 

 that any day prior to the middle of June these Bud-worms are to 

 be found in their burrows, and probably the first week in June 

 would be as good a time as any for collecting and destroying them, 

 as the majority of them would then be in their burrows, and their 

 depredations would render their presence very conspicuous. 



The leafing out of the Apple trees would, perhaps, furnish a good 

 criterion for determining the time when the Bud-worms are to be 

 foimd in their burrows. In this locality this event occurred the past 

 season (1881) about the second week in May; in a general way 

 therefore we may say that the best time for collecting and destroy- 

 ing these insects is about three weeks after the Apple-trees have 

 put forth their leaves ; and this rule holds good for every season 

 and in every locality. 



After the Bud-worms have left their burrows and constructed their 

 cases upon the leaves, they may ^e destroyed by syringing the infested 

 trees with the poisonous solution recommended for the Yellow Can- 

 ker-worm ; but as this is a much more dangerous method than the 

 one suggested above we cannot recommend it except in cases where 

 the trees are also badly infested with some other kind of leaf-eating 

 insect which can best be destroyed by the use of the poisonous so- 

 lution, when the same application will also destroy the Bud-worms. 



