APPLE PESTS 



511 



inch in width. The larvae when first 

 hatched are black with reddish-brown 

 hairs dorsally placed: on the fourth and 

 fifth segments one may find a single large 

 tuft of brown hairs, and on the middle 



Fig. 1. Brown Tail Moth and Larva, 

 line of the ninth and tenth segments is 

 a reddish tubercle which may be with- 

 drawn into the body. 



When full grown the larvae measure 

 about two inches in length, are reddish- 

 brown in color with two red spots on the 

 back near the rear end, and with a lon- 

 gitudinal row of white markings on each 

 side of the abdomen. The body is also 

 covered with numerous tubercles bearing 

 long barbed hairs. The tubercles along 

 the back and sides of the abdomen are 

 thickly covered with short brown hairs 

 In addition to the longer ones. These 

 short hairs are the ones known as the 

 "nettling hairs." 



About the middle of June the larvae 

 spin silken cocoons among the leaves and 

 then pupate. Here they remain for about 

 20 days, and begin to appear as moths 

 about the middle of July. Both the males 

 and the females are pure white, with the 

 exception of the abdomen, which is brown 

 at the tip; on account of these brown 

 tips the moth is known as the brown tail 

 moth. The females have a wing expan- 

 sion of about one and one-half inches, 

 the males one and one-third inches. 



As soon as they have copulated the 

 females begin depositing the eggs on the 

 under side of the leaves. These hatch in 

 about three weeks and the young larvae 



immediately begin feeding on the leaf 

 bearing the egg mass. After a short time 

 they wander to other leaves and feed, 

 returning to the old leaf at night. To- 

 ward fall they begin forming the winter 

 web in which they leave exit holes so 

 that they may go out and feed during 

 good weather. 



The Principal Means of Distribution 



The principal means of distribution to 

 any distance is made by the importation 

 of nests on nursery stock. Having once 

 established themselves they have but 

 little difficulty in getting from orchard 

 to orchard, as both males and females 

 are strong fliers. It is said that they 

 have a habit of soaring above the tree 

 tops and buildings and so are carried 

 long distances by the wind. They are 

 also attracted to lights and so are dis- 

 tributed by trains and electric cars into 

 which they flj' when opportunity offers. 



Food Plants 



Pear and apple are the favorite food 

 plants of this insect, but nearly all fruit 

 and shade trees, excepting the conifers, 

 are attacked. . 



Fig. 2. Pupa Cases of Brown Tail Moth. 



Methods of Control 



Collecting and destroying the winter 

 nests seems to be the best method and 

 supplemented with spraying for the newly 



