THE LESSER BUD-MOTH. 3 



tions the different colors assumed by the caterpillars as they near 

 maturity, and this observation corresponds with our own. 



DISTRIBUTION OF THE SPECIES. 



The distribution of Becurvaria nanella in Europe is given by 

 Staudinger and Kebel (1901) as follows: Central Europe, Sweden, 

 northern Spain, southern France, central and northern Italy, Dal- 

 matia, and southwestern Eussia. 



Specimens of Becurvaria nanella, all identified by Busck, have 

 been received by the Bureau of Entomology and by the United States 

 National Museum from a number of localities in the United States. 

 As previously stated, the first specimens were received in 1903 from 

 Mr. William Dietz, Hazleton, Pa. Others have been received from 

 Pittsburgh, Pa., collected by Henry Engle; from Denton, Md., col- 

 lected by Quaintance in April, 1905, on peach; from College Park, 

 Md., by Girault in August, 1905, on apple, " from fruit; " from Ben- 

 nings, D. C, collected by Girault in May, 1905, "found resting in 

 numbers on trunks and larger limbs, simply swarming on peach 

 trees ; " from Albany, N. Y., by Felt ; from Hampton, N. H., by 

 Shaw; from Dublin, K H, by Busck; and from Cleveland, Ohio, 

 by Prior, the larvae eating apple leaves. 



It is improbable that the insect has attained this distribution in the 

 United States through natural means from a single importation from 

 Europe, but it is likely that it has been imported a number of times 

 on nursery stock shipped to various points in this country. In fact, 

 the importation of this insect, which spends six or seven months in 

 hibernation concealed in minute cracks and crevices of the bark, 

 could occur most easily. 



FOOD PLANTS. 



In the earlier references to Becurvaria nanella the pear is usually 

 given as the host plant. Houghton, however, failed to observe it infest- 

 ing this fruit, but finds it swarming on the apricot, destroying the crop. 

 On the other hand, it is certain from the observations of other authors 

 that the pear is a favorite food plant, for the insect has often been 

 observed frequenting pear trees in the vicinity of London. Other 

 European host plants are apple, peach, plum, cherry, wild plum, and 

 hawthorn. It has been recorded as attacking the peach in swarms. 

 At Benton Harbor, Mich., the insect was reared from apple, peach, 

 pear, plum, and sweet and sour cherries. The infestation was light 

 on plum and cherry. At Hazleton, Pa., it was reared from a wild 

 hawthorn. 



It is interesting to note the immunity of the Kieffer pear to the 

 attack of the young larva in the fall or leaf-mining stage. The 

 larvae, upon hatching, bore into the tissue of the leaves of this va- 



