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2 CIECULAK 2 7 7, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE 



How many times the oriental moth may have entered the various 

 States is. of course, uncertain, but so far as is known it has never be- 

 come established outside of Boston and neighboring cities and towns. 



In 1906, the area infested by the oriental moth in Dorchester was 

 found to cover approximately 1 square mile. In 1932 its known 

 distribution extended to Salem on the northeast, a distance of 14 

 miles: to Arlington and Watertown on the west, a distance of 6% 

 and 7 miles, respectively : and to Quincy on the southeast, a distance 

 of Sy 2 miles. Dispersion from the original colony site has been slow, 

 the moth having advanced only 14 miles to the northeast in 26 years. 



SEASONAL HISTORY 



In Boston and its vicinity a year is required for the oriental moth 

 to complete its life cycle, and during this time it passes through egg, 

 larval, pupal, and adult stages. In Japan, and perhaps elsewhere 



in the Orient, some 

 individuals develop so 

 rapidly that they give 

 rise to two genera- 

 tions within a season. 

 The following sum- 

 mary of the seasonal 

 history of the moth is 

 based on observations 

 made in Boston and 

 vicinity: The adults, 



Figure 1. — The oriental moth. (Cmdocampa flavescens) : ',i in. -i \ 



A. Male; B, female. Natural size. 01' moths (fag. 1), 



issue over a period of 

 about a month, from the latter part of June to the latter part of July. 

 The eggs (fig. 2) hatch in about a week. In certain parts of the 

 infested area some of the larvae from these eggs may become fully 

 grown and spin their cocoons early in August, whereas at other 

 points a few may not reach this stage of development until the first 

 of October. This is in part because, as already mentioned, the moths 

 issue and lay their eggs over a period of about a month, and in part 

 may be attributed to local climatic conditions, even in such a limited 

 area as that now infested. The larvae within the cocoons transform 

 to pupae about the first of May. 



APPEARANCE AND HABITS 



The adult oriental moth is active only at night. During the day 

 it rests in a rather grotesque position. Grasping some object, such 

 as the edge or petiole of a leaf, by its middle or hind feet, the moth 

 lets itself hang downward with the margins of its closed wings in 

 contact with another object. The moth remains in this position 

 until darkness comes, then takes to wing. Its flight is speedy, owing 

 to the very rapid movements of its wings. 



In both male and female moths (fig. 1, A, B) . the thorax and inner- 

 portion of the wings above are light yellow and the other portions 

 of the body and wings are light reddish brown. Two lines that 

 pass from near the apex of the forewing backward across it are of a 

 darker brown, as are also the fringes of the fore and hind wings. 

 The moths measure from iy± to \y* inches from tip to tip of ex- 

 panded wings. 



