90 



THE GYPSY MOTH. 



caterpillars become full grown during July, mostly about 

 the first. Injury done by the pest is, therefore, largely con- 

 fined to the months of May and June, being most serious as 

 the caterpillars become grown. 



The Pupa. — "When fully grown, usually in July, the 

 caterpillar spins a few threads of silk as a supporting frame- 

 work, casts its skin and changes into a pupa, or, as it is 

 sometimes called, a chrysalis. The pupa is dark reddish or 

 chocolate in color and very thinly sprinkled with light red- 

 dish hairs. Unfortunately, it resembles the pupae of certain 

 other moths found in Massachusetts (and New England), 

 and cannot, unless by experts, be identified at a glance. The 

 thinly sprinkled, light reddish hairs are, however, charac- 

 teristic. ' ' The pupa stage lasts from 10 days to two weeks, 

 during which time the insect is comparatively dormant, 

 while the wonderful changes take place by which the 



tissues of the 

 worm-like cat- 

 erpillar are so 

 transf o r m e d 

 that from the 

 a p p a r e ntly 

 lifeless pupa, 

 the winged, 

 adult moth 



% 



^ - 



V t. * 



I 



Fig. 8.— Male and Female Gj'psy Moths. Natural size. 

 (After Forbush and Fernald.) 



emerges. 



The Moth.— 

 (Figure 8.) 

 ''From July 15 

 to August 15 

 the winged 

 moths emerge 

 from the pupae, 

 the date vary- 

 i n g according 

 to the season 

 and the time of 



