154 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



The bud moth ( Tmelocera ocellana) is an insect that has 

 done much injury to fruit trees in some purls of the State, 

 without being generally recognized. It differs from most 

 other insects in that it requires a part of two seasons for its 

 growth while in the larval stage. Its history is given by 

 Prof. C. H. Fernald, in Bulletin No. 12 of the Hatch Exper- 

 iment Station, from which it appears that the moths emerge 

 between the last of June and the middle of July or later, 

 when they pair and lay their eggs upon the leaves. The 

 young larva-, which are at first of a creamy white color, with 

 a brownish head, grow gradually to be of a darker color, 

 eat minute holes in the leaves, and keep themselves within a 

 silken web spun upon the leaves near the midrib. As the 

 leaves fall in autumn, the larvae are carried with them, and, 

 unless blown away, hibernate during the winter under the 

 trees. In the succeeding spring the half-grown larvae make 

 their appearance as soon as the buds begin to swell, and eat 

 their way into the substance of them, which causes their 

 destruction. Each larva as it grows requires a number of 

 buds, and afterwards draws the leaves together, continuing 

 its destructive work, but all the time keeping out of sight. 

 As it approaches its transformation it attains a dark, brownish 

 color, with a darker head. From the middle to the last of 

 June it draws together several leaves, which it lines with 

 silk and within which it transforms to a pupa. This promises 

 to be a difficult insect to deal with, on account of its habit 

 of secreting itself within the early buds, and later between 

 the leaves. The best mode of attacking it would seem to 

 be either to prevent its ascent of the trunk of the tree by 

 some obstacle, or to destroy the larvae among the fallen 

 leaves by fire or otherwise. 



Later in the season, and extended over a considerable 

 time, the fruit trees and the fruits involved are much dis- 

 figured by the work of the fall web worm {Hyphantria 

 texlor). These worms extend their web as they grow, so as 

 to be at all times enclosed and protected in their develop- 

 ment. They arc easily removed when young, as a large 

 colony occupies then but a little space, at first a single leaf 

 only. They arc generally unseen, however, until the size of 

 their web attracts attention, when, if confined to a small 



