Insects in the Garden 331 
autumn. When fully grown, 
a grub leaves the plant, bur- 
rows into the soil, and spins 
a silky cocoon, within which 
the pupaforms. Thus it lives 
over winter. Late in the fol- 
low; : i : U.S. D. A. 
owing spring (in June in New rye. x82. Life history of the 
Jersey, but earlier southward squash borer: a, adult male moth; 
: 6, adult female moth; c, eggs, as 
and later northward) a beauti- they appear on the surface of a 
. squash vine; d, full-grown larva 
ful clear-winged and Wasp- vithin a portion of ie vine; e, 
like moth emerges from the pupa; /, outer cell surrounding 
the pupa. All the figures are about 
cocoon and escapes from the one-third natural size. 
soil. This moth is about 
1 inch long, with a wing spread of 14 inches. Its hind 
wings are transparent, but the fore wings are opaque 
and of a brownish color. The adult moth is most readily 
identified by a conspicuous fringe of orange-colored hairs 
along the inner side of the hind legs. 
The moths are active during the day but become 
sluggish toward nightfall, and in the evening they settle 
on the upper side of the leaves and rest during the 
night. 
The female moth lays small, dull-red oval eggs along 
the stems of squash plants, usually near or even just be- 
low the soil. The eggs are large enough to be seen with 
the naked eye if one looks closely. The eggs hatch in a 
few days, and the grubs burrow into the stem, where they 
feed. They eat out the tissues that carry soil foods and 
water to and from the leaves, and the plant soon suffers. 
If several larve are present in a single stem, the plant 
usually dies. 
