59 



THE EGG AND OVIPOSITION. 



A pair of moths newly bred were placed in a vial July 24, and next 

 morning the female was found to have deposited singly, doubly, and 

 in masses of from 3 or 4 to 20, a total of 235 eggs. The following day 

 24 were laid; on the 27th, 37 were found, or 296 in all. Afterwards 

 the moth died, having laid no more. A few eggs were found upon dis- 

 section, making the probable number usually deposited between 300 

 and 350. 



Most of the moths die in confinement within a week. 



The egg. — The egg is of sufficiently large size, about four one-hun- 

 dredths of an inch in length, as to be readih T discernible to the naked 

 eye. It is of oval form and rather variable in contour, being usually 

 more or less flattened upon the surface of deposit, and there is often a 

 distinct nipple at one extremity. Its greatest width is about three- 

 fifths its length. The color when first laid is light gra} T , and under a 

 strong hand lens the surface appears to be rugose and strongl} T irides- 

 cent. Under a higher power the surface is found to be made up of 

 depressed irregular areas, mostly hexagonal and pentagonal in outline. 



Length, about 0.5 mm.; greatest width, 0.3 to 0.35 mm. 



A day after deposition the eggs begin to take on a pinkish hue, due 

 to light reddish spots below the surface. On the second day the 

 embiyo can be detected, the head showing as a blackish dot near one 

 end and on the lower surface of the egg or the side of attachment. 



Experiments conducted in the latter days of July, in a temperature 

 officially rated by the Weather Bureau of this Department as moderate 

 (indoor 80° to 84° F.), showed that the eggs hatched three days after 

 deposition, a rather remarkably short period for a moth with a wing- 

 expanse of nearly three-fourths of an inch. 



THE NEWLY HATCHED LARVA. 



The larva when just hatched measures about a millimeter in length 

 and about a twelfth that in diameter across the abdomen. The head, 

 as is usual with young larvae, is prominent, wider than the body, and 

 dusky in color. The thoracic plate is also dusky and of somewhat 

 similar subcrescentic form to the more mature stage. The body is 

 very pale } T ellowish gray, nearly white, and the surface is moderately 

 clothed with long fine hairs. 



Very soon after hatching the larva shows the characteristic striae of 

 the more mature form. Thus larvae 2 mm. in length are so little 

 different in general appearance from the full-grown ones as to be 

 readily recognized as of the same species. 



