AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



125 



been observed to feed upon over one hundred different species of 

 trees, shrubs and herbs. This species makes a web which is 

 sometimes very conspicuous, attaining dimensions of several 

 feet. The web can readily be told from that of the Apple-tree 

 Tent-caterpillar. The former insect does not leave the nest to 

 feed. As soon as hatched the young larva? spin a small web for 

 themselves. Under the shelter of this they feed in company 

 upon the upper portions of the leaf, leaving the veins and lower 

 surface. As they grow they connect their web to adjoining twigs 

 and leaves until finally a whole branch several feet long may be 

 inclosed. The web of the latter is more frequently made in the 

 fork and is not usually extended along the branches and the cat- 

 erpillars leave the nest to feed, returning for the night and to rest. 

 Below is given an account of the insect in all the stages of its 

 life history. 



Egg 4 mm. (.16 in.) in length, bright golden yellow, globular, 

 ornamented with numerous regular pits, which according to Pack- 

 ard give it under the magnifying lens the appearance of a beauti- 

 ful golden thimble. 



Larva (young) pale yellow with two rows of black marks along 

 the body, a black head and sparse hairs. 



.,.,, . . . jj*- Full groivn larva usually pale yel- 



lowish or greenish with a broad, dark 

 stripe along the back and a yellowish 

 stripe along the side, covered with 

 whitish hairs that spring from black 

 The caterpillars are somewhat variable 

 as to depth of color and marking, even on the same tree. The 

 fall brood is generally darker colored than the spring brood. 

 The larva is shown in Fig. 5. 



Cocoon, thin, almost transparent, composed of a slight web of 

 silk intermixed with a few hairs from the caterpillar, or some- 

 times mixed with sand when the cocoon is spun in the soil. 



Papa, length 0.60 in. ; breadth in the middle at the bulge, 0.23 

 in. ; dark brown, smooth, polished, faintly punctate, aud bulged in 

 the middle a little all round. 



Perfect insect, a moll which varies 

 greatly in size and color. These color 

 varieties have received different names 

 by entomologists but are now reduced 

 Fig. 6. to H. cunea, Drury. The most com- 



mon form is white or slightly fulvous with white wings, 



te>. 



Fig. 5. 



and orange yellow warts. 



