THE LESSER BUD-MOTH. • 5 



does not reach the dorsal edge and which is more or less interrupted at the 

 fold and bordered on the outside with white scales. From the middle of 

 the costa is a similar, parallel, interrupted dark streak still less clearly 

 defined. At the end of the cell in the middle of the wing is a short, black, 

 longitudinal streak; below this on the dorsal edge is a small black spot, and 

 on the costal edge are two similar black spots, one at the apical third, the 

 other just before apex. Cilia white, speckled black, and fuscous. Hind wings 

 light silvery fuscous ; cilia a shade lighter than wing ; male without costal 

 hair pencil. 



Abdomen dark fuscous, anal tuft silvery gray ; legs white, with black an- 

 nulations ; hairs on posterior tibia silvery white. Alar expanse, 12 mm. 



The species is very near the other fuscous species of the genus and is easily 

 confused with Becurvaria cristatella Chambers, but besides minor colora- 

 tional variations, it differs in the lack of the hair pencil at the base of the 

 hind wings in the male. 



THE LARVA. 



In the larva (PL II, fig. 5) the usual characters of Gelechiidae are 

 exhibited. Up to the time of hibernation the young larvae are light 

 reddish brown, with the head, a plate on the second segment, a 

 small plate on the anal segment, and the upper surface of the legs 

 Vandyke brown. Soon after issuing from their hibernacula in the 

 spring they lose the anal plate, and as they reach their full growth 

 many of them turn from brown to pale green, while others exhibit 

 various shades between the two. This color variation of the larva 

 has no effect on the appearance of the moth, for both brown and 

 green larva? have been isolated and reared, resulting in adults of a 

 uniform type. 



The larva shortly after hatching, measures a little over 1 mm., 

 or about one-twentieth of an inch, in length. It grows slowly and 

 at the time of hibernation measures from 2.1 to 2.6 mm., and when 

 full grown from 8 to 10 mm., or about three-eighths of an inch, in 

 length. 



THE PUPA. 



The pupse (PI. II, fig. 2) shortly after the transformation takes 

 place vary in color from brown to green, as do the larvae; in a few 

 days, however, they all turn brown. They measure 4 or 5 mm., or 

 three-sixteenths of an inch, in length. 



LIFE HISTORY AND HABITS. 



ADULT STAGE. 



The first moths (PL II, fig. 6) issued in rearing cages at Benton 

 Harbor, Mich., on June 22. Some individuals may have emerged in 

 the orchards before this date, for they were found there in consider- 

 able numbers on June 23. In the rearing cages the maximum emerg- 

 ence took place on June 30, and the last moths to appear issued on 

 J uly 10 ; the period of emergence thus covered 19 days. In Table I 



