INSECTS INJURIOUS TO THE APPLE. 



leaves, on which they also feed, sometimes reducing them to 

 mere skeletons. Late in June the change to chrysalis takes 

 place, and the moths appear on the wing in July. They fly 

 at night, and deposit their eggs on the leaves; these eggs hatch 

 during August and September, the larvae living and feeding 

 on the under side of the leaves until frost comes, when before 

 the leaves fall they migrate to the twigs, and, fastening their 

 odd little cases firmly with silken threads, remain torpid until 

 the following spring; then, aroused to activity by the first 

 warm days, they attack the swelling buds, as already described. 

 The larva (6, Fig. 114) is of a pale-yellow color, with a faint 

 rosy tint, a black head, and a few short hairs on its body. In 

 the figure it is much magnified ; the hair-line adjoining shows 

 its natural size ; c represents the chrysalis, and d the moth, 

 both enlarged. The wings of the moth are brown, with white 

 scales, head and thorax white, abdomen whitish, all dotted 

 with brown scales. The wings, when expanded, measure a 

 little more than half an inch across. 



No. 52. The Resplendent Shield-bearer. 



Aspidisca splendoriferella Clemens. 



Occasionally there may be found on the limbs of apple- 

 trees during the winter clusters of little oval seed-like bodies, 

 as shown at d, Fig. 115; these on examination will be found 

 to be formed of minute portions of apple-leaves, and on open- 

 ing one of them it will be seen to contain a small yellowish 

 larva, or, if the season be advanced, perhaps a chrysalis. 



During the month of May a very small but very beautiful 

 moth escapes from each of these enclosures. The moth is rep- 

 resented at g in Fig. 115, much magnified. Its head is golden, 

 the antennae brown, tinged with gold ; the fore wings from the 

 base to the middle are of a leaden gray with a metallic lustre, 

 and from the middle to the tip golden ; a broad silvery streak 

 extends from the front edge to about the middle, margined 

 with a dark color on both sides ; there are also other streaks 

 and spots of silvery and dark brown. The hind wings are 





