THE GYPSY MOTH. 



5 



soon begin to feed upon the expanding foliage, devouring all 

 kinds of vegetation, even defoliating coniferous trees. All 

 the damage is done in this stage. As the caterpillars approach 

 maturity, they feed mostly at night, and seek shelter during 

 the day on the shady side of the trunks, under fence rails, 

 stones and rubbish, where they may often be found in large 

 numbers. 



When full-grown, the caterpillar is between two and tliree 

 inches long, dark brown, with two rows of red spots and two 



Fig. I. — Egg-mass of gypsy moth. 

 (After Kirkland.) 



rows of blue spots along the back, and is covered with long 

 hairs. (See Figure 2.) The caterpillar usually reaches full size 

 in July, and transforms to a pupa or chrysalis, usually spinning 

 a few threads about itself, as is shown in Figure 3. 

 • During the latter half of July the adult moths emerge, mate, 

 and the females lay eggs. The brown male has a wing expanse 

 of one and one-half inches, and flies about in the daytime in 

 a zigzag course. The female has a heavy body, and does not 

 fly far, though furnished with wings which expand about two 

 inches, and which are nearly white, with delicate black mark- 

 ings. See front page of this bulletin. The male is shown in 

 Figure 4. There is but one brood each season. 



