APPLE INSECTS OF MAINE. II7 



THE LESSER APPLE LEAF FOLDER. Teras iiiiutita, Robr. 



This is another of the small moths that do damage to the buds 

 and leaves of the terminal shoots of the apple tree. It is par- 

 ticularly bad in Maine. It is said to be specially bad in nursery 

 stock, and young orchards, but large trees also suiter. This is 

 a well known cranberry insect and may get into orchards from 

 the bogs. 



Description. 



Eggs. — The eggs, so far as we know, have not been described. 



Larva. — A small, greenish yellow, active caterpillar, with a pale brown 

 head. When disturbed it seeks the more secluded parts of its burrow, 

 or if too much molested, wriggles out and drops to the ground. 



Chrysalis. — Within the folded leaf, the larva spins a silken web and 

 changes to a brown chrysalis, three-tenths of an inch long. There is a 

 characteristic knob-like projection from the head end of the chrysalis. 



Perfect Insect. — A small moth, with one-half inch spread of wing. 

 There are three broods and the insect is dimorphic, the moths of the 

 third brood being very different in color. These dimorphic forms were 

 thought to be different species until carefully bred and studied. The 

 moths of the first two broods have the head, thorax and fore wings a 

 bright orange color; the hind wings, body and legs are whitish with a 

 silken lustre. The moths of the third brood have the fore wings of a 

 uniform ash-gray, or slate color with reddish luster by oblique light; 

 hind wings light colored and semi-transparent. 



Life History. 

 The gray-colored moths of the third brood hibernate in some 

 sheltered place during the winter. In the early spring they come 

 forth and deposit their eggs on the buds or unfolding leaves. 

 The eggs hatch in a few days and the larvae crawl between the 

 unfolding leaves and begin feeding upon them, often fastening 

 one or more leaves together by a silken web and living within 

 them. They live upon the epidermis and pulp, but sometimes 

 gnaw holes in the leaves, and sometimes forsake the nest, to feed 

 on adjacent exposed leaves. When mature they spin a silken 

 lining to the leaf and change to the chrysalis, where they remain 

 about a week, and early in May the orange-colored moths of the 

 first brood come forth. The larvae of the second brood appear 

 the last of May or early in June, and the moths the last of June 

 or in July. The moths of the third brood appear in August, 

 and hibernate, completing the round of life. 



