142 



Moth of red-humped apple- 

 tree caterpillar. 



IIed-hu:n[ped Apple-tree Caterpillar. 

 lu, some eases another kind of caterpillar having similar 

 habits, and known as the red-humped apple-tree caterpillar 



(Schizura roncinna S. & 

 A.), is met with, also feed- 

 ing in clusters. Of this, 

 too, there is but one brood 

 a year, the moths flying in 



Red-humped apple-tree caterpillar. midsUmmer 



Such caterpillars as these cause much more apprehension 

 than is necessary. Their habit of feeding in clusters makes 

 it easy to remove them by hand ; or 

 if for any reason this is impossible, 

 spraying the portion of the tree they 

 are on with arsenate of lead will 

 quickly destroy them. But the size 

 of the clusters and the rapidity wdth 

 which they will strip a limb are 

 often the cause of much anxiety to fruit growers who are not 

 familiar with them. 



Bud Moth. 



One of our abundant apple pests is the bud moth {Spilo- 

 nota ocellana Schiff.). Though its work is generally little 

 noticed, it blighted about 10 per cent of the fruit buds at Am- 

 herst last spring, besides many of the leaf buds, thus caus- 

 ing a large reduction of the crop, which was almost entirely 

 unappreciated, the blossoms failing to develop. 



The tiny moths of this insect measure less than an inch 

 across the expanded wings. They appear in June and July, 

 and lay their eggs on the leaves, generally singly. About a 

 week later the eggs hatch, and the little caterpillars attack 

 ihe leaves they are on, feeding on the epidermis of one side 

 and the inside cells only, leaving the veins and other surface 

 entire. Each caterpillar also forms for itself a little tulie 

 of silk, usually along the midrib of the leaf, and uses this 

 as its home, leaving it to feed, but returning to it when dis- 

 turbed. As the caterpillar grows, this tube is enlarged till 

 it niav become nearlv an inch Ions;. 



