64 



shades seen in the whitethorn living specimens, and I am convinced 

 that the}^ are the same. 



LIFE HISTORY. 



The moth is slightly less than half an inch in wing expanse. The 

 color is subject to much variation; the front wings are often almost 

 entirely black, the posterior wings gray with gra}^ fringes; other speci- 

 mens have the front wings mottled with dark brown, brown, and rusty 

 brown, and the inner margin of the fore wings is Avhite to beyond the 

 middle, where an irregular oblique white l)ar proceeds to the tip 

 of the wing, and from this two branches may intersect the black 

 apical portion ; the head is almost entirely white. The white mark- 

 ings are particularly variable. This insect occurs in June, according 

 to Stainton," but all those I have bred out appeared between the 12th 

 of July and the 10th of August. The moths are very active, running 

 with great energy, and frequently fall on their dorsal surface. They 

 rest during the day on the twigs and stems and are then scarcely 

 noticeable, owing to their color being similar to the rind. The egg 

 stage has not been observed on the apple trees, but they are appar- 

 ently laid soon after the moths have hatched out. I have found small 

 larvae on the leaves in September which I am sure were those of this 

 moth; the}" reached one-twentieth of an inch in length. The next 

 stage occurs under the bark of a twig, beneath which the small larvjfi 

 have eaten their way; others bore into the base of the buds and there 

 the}^ remain all the winter. The hole of entry is so small it can only be 

 detected by microscopic examination. During January and February 

 the young larva? were found tunneling into thp pith of the shoots and 

 also feeding at the base of the buds. In Maj" their work in the pith 

 is most pronounced, and later the}^ work into the flower stalk and 

 eventually the whole shoot, perhaps for 3 or -1 inches, dies away. I 

 have found them in the stalk of fi'uitlets and man}" in the buds which 

 never develop to maturity. The larva? live until June; the majority 

 pupate by the 20th, but some not until the last week of the month. 

 The caterpillar is dull reddish brown with a deep-brown head and first 

 segment; the other segments show more or less traces of pale-brown 

 spots, four in a row on the second and third segments and four placed 

 in a quadrangle on the remaining segments; the two anterior seg- 

 ments have two lateral spots and the others one each; the apex is 

 brown and the sucker feet rather paler. When matured they reach 

 one-third of an inch and pupate near the apex of the shoot or bud. 

 The pupa is bright-ochraceous brown with the head, front of thorax, 

 and tip of the body mahogany red. On the ventral surface of the 

 penultimate segment are two blunt processes, separate and widely 

 diverging with hairy apices; the eyes are black and the wing cases 



"Manual of Butterflies and Moths, II, p. 399. 



