"80 DECIDUOUS FRUIT IXSECTS AND INSECTICIDES. 



FLIGHT, FEEDING, AND MATING. 



The moths for the most part fly within a few feet of the ground 

 and move in an erratic way, dashing from place to place or from tree 

 to tree. Individuals flying into or over the tops of large trees are 

 only rarely seen. Males are often found buzzing and hovering 

 around trap cages in which females are confined. Both sexes are 

 extremely active and hard to catch. Moths are often seen resting 

 on leaves or on trunks of trees. 



Moths have never been observed in the act of feeding. Drops of 

 sweetened liquids and honey were placed on apricot leaves in the 

 trap cages, but the moths were never seen even sipping at this. 



Mating occurs as soon after the moths have emerged as the male 

 and female can come together. Individuals from separate rearing 

 jars only a few minutes after issuing from their cocoons were observed 

 to copulate as soon as they were placed together in the same rearing 

 cage. In one instance a male winch was known to have mated a few 

 hours previously was placed in a cage with a newly issued unim- 

 pregnated female. Both alighted on the ground and copulation took 

 place immediately — so quickly, in fact, that one could not follow the 

 movements. The individuals remained in copulation 1 hour and 20 

 minutes. The previous copulation of this male had lasted 1 hour 

 and 17 minutes. Other matings have been observed to last as long 

 as 1 hour and 30 minutes. Copulation was observed many times. 



OTEPOsrriox. 



Female moths begin to place their eggs within a few hours after 

 emerging from the cocoons. They have been observed in rearing 

 cages to mate during the forenoon and to place eggs in the after- 

 noon — never later than the following day. Wit Inn two or three 

 days oviposition is completed and the moths die. 



The rearing cages for the life-history study of the insect were about 

 2 feet square and 6 feet high, with wire-mesh cloth on all sides. They 

 were placed over small apricot trees which had been planted for this 

 purpose in the back yard of the insectary. (See PI. IX.) The 

 moths thus introduced were out of doors, could fly and mate under 

 almost normal conditions, and it was found that oviposition and egg 

 development could be watched easily. 



Within the rearing cages the moths placed their eggs at random, 

 on the small trunks, stems, and leaves of the trees, and even on the 

 inside of the cages. Most of the eggs, however, were placed on the 

 underside of the leaves. A moth would fly to a branch and rest on 

 it for a few minutes, and after placing a few eggs would quickly fly 

 away and soon repeat the operation. Eggs were placed sometimes 

 singly, but mostly in groups of from 2 or 3 to 25 or 30 or more. A 

 moth was observed to alight on a leaf, place 2 eggs in about 10 seconds, 

 and then fly away. 



