10 



BULLETIN 703, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant, Irish potato, pepper, 

 tomato, and turnip. 



LIFE HISTORY AND HABITS. 



HABITS OF THE MOTH. 



In the insectary the moths remain inactive during the day. In the 

 field their activities probably take place at night, the moths secreting 

 themselves during the day in places that are at most only poorly 

 lighted. Specimens either have been collected in the field or have 

 issued in a well-ventilated insectary during all months of the year 

 except April and June. 



OVIPOSITION. 



No eggs have been collected in the field. In the insectary they 

 were deposited at night singly over objects to which the moths had 

 access, with the flattened side of the egg adhering to the surface 

 upon which it rested. Eiley has stated that moths which he had 

 under observation scattered their eggs irregularly and singly on 

 grass, though he considered this habit exceptional and probably 

 abnormal, as a result of confinement. 



NUMBER OF EGGS DEPOSITED. 



During 1917 females were confined in the insectary and records 

 kept of the number of eggs deposited by each. They were fed 

 sweetened water and, once egg-laying had begun, eggs usually were 

 deposited every night during the period of oviposition. The num- 

 ber of eggs deposited by different moths, the number of well-de- 

 veloped eggs in the ovaries at death, and the number of eggs de- 

 posited daily by a single moth, varied greatly. The highest number 

 deposited during a single night was 30T. During December eggs 

 were deposited on a night when the thermograph registered as low 

 as 19° F. The confinement of males with females apparently had no 

 bearing on the number of eggs deposited. Males kept alone and 

 with females lived as long as did the females. Table I gives data 

 concerning the female moths. 



Table I. — Egg-laying ?'ecords of Feltia 



annexa, 



Baton Rouge, La., 



1917. 



Female moth issued. 



First eggs 

 laid. 



Last eggs 

 laid. 



Moth 

 died. 



Totalnum- 



ber eggs 



laid. 



Number of 

 eggs in 



ovaries at 

 death. 



Total 

 number 

 of eggs. 



1917 

 Sept. 10 



1917 

 Sept. 12 

 Nov. 22 

 Nov. 29 

 Nov. 20 

 Nov. 18 



1917 

 Sept. 20 

 Dec. 9 

 Dec. 6 

 Dec. 8 

 Dec. 8 



1917 

 Sept. 20 

 Dec. 11 

 Dec. 14 

 Dec. 15 

 Dec. 17 

 Dec. 18 

 Dec. 19 

 Dec. 27 

 Dec. 30 

 Dec. 30 



812 



878 



47 



1,106 



361 







5 



833 



1,060 



142 





 385 

 392 

 268 

 420 

 311 

 433 







79 



360 



812 



Nov. 19i 



1,263 



Nov. 22 



439 



Nov. 17 



1,374 



Nov. 11 



781 



Dec 4 



311 



Nov. 30 



Dec. 2 

 Dec. 4 

 Dec. 3 

 Dec. 22 



Dec. 8 

 Dec. 26 

 Dec. 26 

 Dec. 29 



438 



Dec. 2 



883 



Nov. 29 1 . 



1,139 



Nov. 7 



502 







Confined with male. 



