14 



BULLETIN 12*73, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



serrations, expressed in percentages, are presented in Table 5. 

 Extremely cool weather apparently has little to do with the entering 

 of the larva? upon the hibernation period, as up to September 30, the 

 date on which nearly all larva? had left the foliage, the lowest mini- 

 mum temperature had been 44° F.. on September 27. 



Table 5. — Hibernation of the bud moth, WaUingford, Conn,, 1921 



Date of observation 



Percentage 

 of larvae in 

 hibernation 



Date of observation 



Percentage 

 of larvae in 

 hibernation 



Date of observation 



Percentage 

 of larvae in 

 hibernation 



Aug. 19 



25 



0.0 

 14.3 

 12.5 

 30.0 



Sept. 16 



31.3 

 31.8 

 72.7 

 93.8 



Oct. 5 



95.0 



19 



10..- 



96.8 



Sept. 1... 



26.. 



15 



100.0 



7 



30 













The winter nest (PL II, A) is most often placed in the angle at the 

 base of a fruit spur or a short twig, but may be constructed under 

 a dead bud scale, in a crevice in the bark, or in any other convenient 

 location. The hibernaculum is elongate, from 3 to 5 millimeters long 

 and from 1 to 2 millimeters wide, and is either straight or curved, to 

 conform to the space in which it is constructed. Included in the 

 outer layer are bits of frass and tiny pieces of bark or bud scales, 

 and after the nest is closed in the surface is very nearly of the color of 

 the surrounding bark and hard to distinguish from it. The inner 

 layers of the winter nest are of fine white silk without any foreign 

 matter. During the construction of the hibernaculum the larva molts, 

 as evidenced by the presence of the cast skin and head capsule, which 

 are found at one end of the hibernaculum, usually between the outer 

 and inner layers of silk, but sometimes visible from the outside and 

 partially woven into the outside layer. Some larva? are found fac- 

 ing away from the old cast skin, and others facing toward it. 



This molt is not accompanied by the usual increase in head measure- 

 ment, the average width increasing from 0.45 to only 0.50 millime- 

 ter, but the presence of the cast skin is proof that the molt has 

 occurred. 



Securely inclosed within this protecting nest, the larva passes the 

 winter, awaiting the coming of spring and the development of the 

 tender young foliage and succulent blossom buds. 



NATURAL ENEMIES 



PREDATORS 



Comparatively few records seem to have been made of predacious 

 enemies of the bud moth. Birds have been mentioned as feeding on 

 the larvae. Slingerland (16) reports finding the mud nests of the wasp 

 Odynerus catskillensis Sauss. stored with larvae of the bud moth and 

 one other species. Wilson and Moznette (20) report an undetermined 

 carabid beetle, an anthocorid bug (Triphleps sp.), and a mite (Anyx- 

 tis agilis Banks) feeding on larvae of the bud moth. 



PARASITES 



Owing to l lie fact that the lesser bud moth, and numerous other 

 species, have been to some extent confused with the bud moth, it 



