26 



closely resemble the Canker-worms both m habits and general ap- 

 pearance, I have thought it best to give them a more appropriate 

 name, and therefore have named them the Yelloiv Canker Worms. 



These insects issue from the eggs about the first week in May, or 

 soon after the Apple-trees have put forth their leaves, and imme- 

 diately commence their work of destruction. This period of their 

 lives extends from the above date to the last week in June, when, 

 having attained their full size, they descend to the ground and enter 

 it to the depth of three or four inches. Here each one forms a small 

 cell, lining it with a few strands of silk, but not spinning a perfect 

 cocoon. In a short time they cast off their skins and enter the 

 chrysalis state, in which state they remain until about the middle 

 of October, when they are changed to moths. Dr. Harris states* 

 that some of the moths do not issue from the chrysalis until the 

 following spring, but in this locality I have never taken any in the 

 spring, although I have repeatedly searched for them. The female 

 moth is wingless, about one-half an inch long, of a whitish color, 

 dotted with black and marked on the back with two rows of 

 black spots, and with a row of smaller black spots low down 

 on each side of the body ; the legs are ringed with blue and 

 white. As soon as she issues from the chrysalis she ascends to the 

 surface of the ground and makes her way to the nearest tree, which 

 she ascends for the purpose of depositing her eggs. Here at twi- 

 light she is joined by the winged male, and after impregnation she 

 deposits from two hundred to three hundred eggs, secreting them 

 in crevices and under the loose bark of the trunk and larger limbs. 

 In doing ihis she crawls around the trunk or one of the larger 

 branches, dragging her long ovipositor after her, the last part of it 

 being held at nearly right angles to the surface on which she crawls ; 

 and whenever the tip of it sinks into a crevice she deposits therein 

 as many eggs as the crevice will conveniently shelter. The favorite 

 situation, however, is beneath the loose bark, her long ovipositor 

 being admirably fitted for depositing eggs in such situations. The 

 eggs adhere to the tree by their own viscidity, and are not covered 

 over by any substance that would protect them from the severity of 

 the weather, but remain throughout the winter in the same condi- 

 tion as when first deposited. 



The female lives about five weeks after issuing from the chrysalis. 

 The male is shorter lived than the female, living only about three 

 weeks after issuing from the chrysalis. Neither sex has ever been 

 known to take any nourishment whatever during their lives as 

 moths. The females are very hardy and can withstand a consider- 

 able amount of cold. On the fourth day of November, 1879, I 

 found one on the trunk of an Apple-tree ; it was alive, although 

 there was snow on the ground at the time, and had been for the 

 past three or four days, and the previous night ice formed in the 

 horse-trough to the depth of about one and a half inches. I have 

 taken them as late as the last week in November. There is but 

 little danger of confounding this species with either the Spring 

 Canker-worm (Anisopteryx veruata, Peck), or with the Fall Canker- 

 worm {Aitisopteryx autiimnata, Packard.) 



♦Insects Injurious to Vegetation, pg. 473. 



