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THE BOOK OF CORN 



night. The female deposits her eggs upon the grain 

 or in the meal itself, where they hatch in a few days 

 into tiny worms. When full grown the worms or 

 larvae are about half an inch long, flesh colored and 

 hairy. They have the peculiar habit of spinning fine 

 silken threads wherever they go, in much the same 

 manner as the flour moth. When full grown the 

 larvae usually leave their food and crawl to some 

 isolated angle or corner to pupate. They are exceed- 

 ingly free with their silk during the migratory period, 

 and will often line the inside of tightly closed bins or 



Fig 77— Indian Meal Moth 



Plodia inierpiincteita : a, moth, ^, chrysalis ; c, caterpillar; /, same, dorsal 

 view — somewhat enlarged ; d, head ; e, hrst abdominal segment of caterpillar 

 — more enlarged (after Chittenden), 



granaries with their waste material, trailing it back and 

 forth in every conceivable direction, forming a fine and 

 delicate fabric. There are in all probability from five 

 to seven generations annually where the temperature is 

 favorable. 



The meal snout moth is another little moth which 

 is attracting considerable attention in this country. It 

 usually occurs in mills, granaries, storehouses, barns 

 and houses where farinaceous products are stored. The 

 adult moth is a beautifully banded creature with a 

 wing expanse of about an inch. The ground color is 



