Peack-twig Borer! Winter Burrow 

 Cut Open 



THE BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS ~ ±17 



' The life history of this pest" in California has been very 

 carefiilly worked out by the investigators of the State Ex- 

 periment Statio"!!. In brief it is as fbllows : Throughout 

 thefall and winter the ^mall caterpillars are hidden within 

 curious cells that they make in the bark of the trees,' es- 

 pecially in the forks of ■ • 

 the branches.- ^ These lit; 

 tie burrows are furnished 

 with a silken lining, and 

 are covered with a sort 

 of thatch made by fasten- 

 ing tiny bits of bark to- 

 gether with silk. With in 

 these hibernating' cellsj 

 the insects are protected 

 from most dangers. Early 

 in spring, the^larvae become active and get ready to emerge 

 from their winter quarters by tearing away a part of the 

 protective covering. Finally they emerge and attack the 

 young buds, burrowing their way into the pith of the short 

 branches. They thus become twig borers, and often do 

 grfeat damage. . , 

 ■; After a fe^ weeks of this ejJistence, they hide;within the 

 bits of -ctirlfed-- bark upoii the trunk- and larger brainches^ 

 where they change to pupae, generally very sligi^itlysheU 

 tered by a few silken hairs. These pupae shortly change 

 again into adult nioths, that lay their eggs on the bark of 

 the young twigs. ; These eggs soon hatch into tiny larvae, 

 which also becom'e twig borers during the first weeks of 

 their life, usually upon a tree loaded with'iruit. This brood 

 of worms lives as 'twig borers for ouly.abjbut three weeks. 



They then leave the..4.wigs and burrow into the green 

 peaches, entering at the stem end and feeding freely upon 



