124: 



QUINCE CULTURE. 



by its parasitic enemies. The largest, and perhaps the 

 commonest, is the Long-tailed Ophion (Opkion macru- 

 rum., Linn.). It is a large yellowish brown ichneumon, 

 that lays its eggs on the skin of the larvae, to which they 

 adhere by the gum surrounding them, and hatch in a few 

 days. A two-winged tachina fly is also often found as a 

 parasite on this'caterpillar. Its larva is a fleshy and foot- 

 less grub, of a translucent yellow, and about half an inch 

 long. 



16. COTTON TUFT (Lagoa crispata, Packard). This is 

 a very singular variety of the caterpillar family, which 



derives its name from the 

 crinkled, woolly hairs on the 

 fore wings of the parent 

 moth. The thorax and 

 lower part of the sides are a 

 slate-colored, dusky orange. 

 It makes its cocoon by inter- 

 weaving its long hairs with 

 its silk. The cocoon is long, 

 cylindrical, and dense. The 



ance; c.advaaced growth; d,ma- skin of the Very thin pnpa 



is found protruding from 



the cocoon after the moth has escaped. When I first 

 saw the Lagoas on the quince trees, the caterpillars were 

 about a third of an inch long and looked like so many tufts 

 of white cotton. Hence the common name I have given 

 it. After they had moulted, and grown to about three- 

 quarters of an inch in length, they appeared less hairy, 

 the back being wide in proportion to the length, with the 

 corrugated parts conjoined, reminding one of a trilobite. 



17. THE APPLE-TREE APHIS (Aphis mali, Fabr.; 

 Aphis malifolim, Fitch). The name Aphis means to 

 exhaust, and is well applied to this little insect, which 

 proves itself a great exhauster of vitality on all trees on 

 which it lives. They have small heads, armed with 



Fig. 112. COTTON TUFT, 

 a, cocoon natural size ; l>, early appear- 



