THE PINK BOLLWORM, 



13 



After a variable time, as has been indicated, the larva transiorms 

 into a pupa or chrysalis. This stage lasts from 10 to 20 days and then 

 the moth emerges. The life of the moth is rather short. Under 

 favorable conditions Mr. Biisck succeeded in keeping some specimens 

 alive for 32 days, but under the same conditions the ^reat majority 

 of the insects died in from 14 to 20 days. 



The moth is seldom seen in nature. Its habit is to hide during 

 the day under stones or brush. The normal time of flight is from 

 6.30 to 8 p. m.^ Although apparently capable of prolonged flight, 

 they prefer to go no farther than the first cotton field. The moth is 

 so quiet in its habits and so easily overlooked that many may occur 



Fig. 10. — Typical holes made by pink bollworms through cotton-boll carpels. 



unnoticed in the field. In fact Mr. Busck states that frequently he 

 walked through cotton fields in the Hawaiian Islands where the 

 moths had been emerging daily for an indefinite time, and where 

 many thousands must have been present, without seeing a single one. 

 Statements to the effect that the pink bollworm is attracted to lights 

 have appeared in the literature. Mr. Busck paid particular atten- 

 tion to this point and demonstrated that in Hawaii lights have no 

 attraction whatever for the insect. In fact, the moths were clearly 

 repelled by light. In Egypt experiments have shown some degree 

 of attraction to light but not enough to form the basis for control 

 measures. 



1 Standard time. 



