THE BROWN-TAIL MOTH. 3 IS 



they spin, forming a nest or web on the ends of the small 

 branches. On the approach of cold weather, about 250 cater- 

 pillars enter each web, and remain there, about one-fourth 

 grown, through the winter, coming out early in April and 

 feeding upon the buds, and later the opening blossoms and 

 leaves. The caterpillars (see Figure 2) become full-grown the 

 last of June, and are between one and two inches long, dark 

 brown in color with an interrupted white stripe on each side of 

 the dorsum and two conspicuous red dots or tubercles on the 

 posterior end of the body. Long hairs arise from tubercles 

 along the sides of the body. 



The cocoons are formed often in a bunch of leaves at the 

 ends of the twigs. Two weeks is the length of the pupal or 



Fig. 3. — Web or winter nest of brown-tail moth. 

 (After Fernald.) 



chrysalid stage, and the moths emerge usually about the middle 

 of July. 



Both sexes are similar except that the ^female is larger, pure 

 white, with brown hairs on the end of the abdomen, giving it 

 the name of the brown -tail moth. The. wing expanse of the 

 female is about one and one-half inches, Both sexes fly at 



