30 



THE CODLING MOTH. 



(Carpocapsa pomonella Linn.) 



It is not my purpose to give a complete account of this insect at the 

 present time; its habits and life history are pretty well known to those 

 of our fruit growers who suffer by reason of the inroads it makes in 

 their deciduous fruit crops. A very full account of this pest, written 

 by Mr. L. O. Howard, will be found in the Annual Report of the U. S. 

 Department of Agriculture for the year 1887 (pp. 88-115). I will there- 

 fore simply record a few additional notes which have come under my 

 observation during the last eight or nine years. 



In the above-mentioned account it is stated that in the northern 

 part of this country the Codling Moth is two-brooded, while in the 

 south it is three-brooded. My notes indicate that in California, as 

 might be expected, it is also three-brooded, the moths from the hiber- 

 nating worms issuing in the latter part of March and during the first 

 half of April, those of the next brood appearing in June and during 

 the first half of July, while the third brood of moths appear in August 

 and the early part of September. 



Of the two kinds of internal parasites reported as preying upon the 

 larvae and pupa3 of the Codling Moth in this country, the Pimpla annu- 

 lipes is not represented in my collection from California. The second 

 species, Macroeentrus delicatiis, not heretofore known to occur upon 

 this coast, I have never bred from the larvae of the Codling moth; but 

 my notes indicate that on the 3d of September, 1891, I bred three 

 specimens of this parasite from larvae of a Tortricid, Pwdisca strenuana 

 Walker, which lives in the dry stems of a wild suu flower, Helianthus 

 annuus. I notice that in volume in of Insect Life (p. 59), the editors 

 record having bred this parasite from, another Tortricid, the Caccecia 

 fervidana, as well as from one of the Dagger-moths, Acronycta oblinita, 

 making in all four different insects upon which it is known to prey. 



In the above-mentioned account it is stated that the Dermestid 

 beetles, Trogodenna tarsale and Perimegatoma variegatum, are reported 

 as preying upon the pupa? of the Codling Moth in California. My 

 observations on the larva? of these two beetles lead to the belief that 

 the Trogoderma larva feeds upon dead insects, but will not attack the 

 living ones; on the other hand, while the Perimegatoma larva doubt- 

 less prefers dead insects upon which to feed, yet it will also feed upon 

 the smaller living pupa?, or chrysalides, of moths; and perhaps also 

 those of other insects. 



This latter larva bears quite a close resemblance to the one figured 

 at 396, on page 448, of Packard's " Guide to the Study of Insects." 

 It is of a dark brow^i color, with the sutures of the segments whitish ; 

 the body is quite hard, somewhat flattened, of nearly an equal width 

 throughout, except that the last fourth tapers slightly posteriorly, 

 and the body is a trifle widest at the fourth segment; there are appa 



