12 



The Pupa. — The caterpillars pupate within their cocoons at 

 the tips of twigs. Usually the mass of cocoons is formed within a 

 spray of leayes, but at times the cocoon is made on a house wall, 

 fence, tree trunk, etc. The pupa is a compact, dark-brown body, 

 about five-eighths of an inch long, with yellowish- 

 brown hairs scattered over its surface. Pupation 

 takes place the latter part of June, and the moths 

 emerge about the middle of July. 



The Moth. — The moths are pure white on the 

 wings. The male is slender bodied, while the 

 female has a conspicuous bunch of brown hair at 

 the tip of the abdomen, hence the name " brown- 

 tail moth." The female has a wing expanse of 

 about one and one-half inches, the male being 

 slightly smaller. 



Both the male and female brown-tail moths 

 fly mainly by night, and are greatly attracted to 

 lights. As in the case of the gypsy moth, all the 

 destructive work of the brown-tail moth is done 

 by its caterpillar, which, unlike the gypsy moth caterpillar, 

 habitually feeds by day. 



FIG. 6. — Full- 

 grown cater- 

 pillar of the 

 Drown-tail moth. 



Distribution. 



The brown-tail moth is known to have spread at least as far to 

 the northeast as Eastport, Me., and as far south as Cape Cod, 

 Mass. To the west it has been found at Amherst, Mass. The 

 eastern portion of Massachusetts from north to south is now quite 

 solidly infested, though less so south of 

 Boston, and the moth doubtless exists in 

 many communities in and out of Massa- 

 chusetts from which it has not yet berai 

 reported. 



The female winged brown-tail moth, 

 like the male, is a strong, swift flyer 

 and can carry her eggs long distances 

 before depositing them. For this reason the brown-tail moth has 

 spread much farther from its point of introduction in Massachusetts 

 than has the gypsy moth. In its flight the brown-tail moth is 

 often aided by strong winds. It is also transported on steamboats 

 and in electric and steam cars to which it is attracted at night by 

 the lights. 



The caterpillar of the brown-tail moth has, when young, the 

 " spinning down" habit already described in the case of the gypsy 



Fig. 7.— Female brown -tail moth. 



