The Brown -Tail Moth. 



See Plates II, III and IV. 



Like the gypsy moth, the brown-tail moth has four stages in its 

 life history: the egg; caterpillar; pupa, or resting, stage; and the 

 a,dult or moth, stage. The eggs are laid during July, on the under 

 side of the leaves, usually on the outside and towards the top of the 

 trees. The egg cluster is similar to that laid by the gypsy moth, 

 but it is smaller, more elongated, and thickly covered with golden 

 brown hairs. Each egg mass contains from two to four hundred 

 small, round, light yellow eggs. Occasionally these egg clusters 

 may be laid on the trunks and branches of the trees, and on fences, 

 buildings, and other objects. The eggs hatch in two or three weeks. 

 At first the caterpillars feed on the outer surface and do not eat holes 

 through the leaves. This causes the leaves to dry and look as if 

 scorched by fire or blight. 



Unlike any other insect that we have, the brown-tail moth passes 

 the winter in the caterpillar stage in silken nests spun usually at the 

 tips of the upper branches. The building of the nest is begun soon 

 after the caterpillars have hatched, and it is from one to four inches 

 in length and from one to one and one-half inches through when 

 ■completed (see Fig. 2) . It always encloses a number of the leaves on 

 which the caterpillars have fed, and is usually formed near where 

 the egg cluster was laid. When cold weather sets in, the young 

 ■caterpillars go into the nests, and remain inside for the winter. They 

 ■come out again in the early spring and feed on the young leaves until 

 the middle of June, when they change into the pupa stage. In about 

 three weeks the moths come out and begin to lay eggs, and the life 

 history is completed. 



We have another insect, the fall web-worm, which weaves nests 

 that are often mistaken for those of the brown-tail moth. The nests 

 of the fall web-worm, however, are more loose and open, and never 

 contain living caterpillars during the winter time. 



