66 MISC. PUBLICATION 273, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
Two years are required for this insect to complete its life cycle. 
Adults appear during the latter part of June and in July, and the 
females deposit eggs that hatch in August. The young larvae crawl 
up the trees and during the early molts feed in groups on the new 
foliage. At the end of the season they are about 1 inch in length. 
The first winter is spent by these immature larvae hibernating in 
clusters at the base of the needles. Feeding is resumed in the follow- 
ing spring, and the caterpillars reach full growth by the last of 
June. When mature, they crawl down the trees and enter the soil 
to a depth of 1 to 5 inches, where they form elliptical cells, some- 
times sparsely lined with a silky material, in which they transform 
to the pupal stage. The pupae are dark reddish brown and from 
1 to 11% inches in length and about one-half inch in width. The 
pupal stage lasts a full year, and the moths are not ready to emerge 
until the following June and July. 
An interesting side light on the economic importance of this in- 
sect is that the larvae or pupae form a delectable food for certain 
Indian tribes. The Mono Indians of California dig trenches around 
the infested trees and build smudge fires which cause the cater- 
pillars to drop to the ground in great numbers. They are caught 
in the trenches, killed, dried, and subsequently cooked with vege- 
tables to make a stew. The Klamath Indians in Oregon prefer 
the pupae, which, when dug from the ground and roasted or boiled, 
are considered a great delicacy. 
Epidemics of the pandora moth are brought under control by a 
number of natural enemies. Probably the most important is a wilt 
disease that attacks them at about the time they reach full growth 
and start to descend the trees. Once this disease becomes well estab- 
lished it runs rampant through the hordes of caterpillars, and very 
few of the insects escape. Ground squirrels and chipmunks dig up 
and destroy large quantities of pupae. Birds feed only sparingly 
on the caterpillars, which appear to be distasteful to most of them. 
Four or more species of insect parasites attack the caterpillars and 
dispose of a large number. 
This defolator could be held in check by spraying or dusting 
trees with arsenicals during the spring period of maximum feeding, 
provided such insecticides could be applied at a reasonable cost. 
Airplane dusting is about the only way in which such poisons could 
be applied to large forested areas, and because of the cost it 1s ques- 
tionable to what extent such a method could be used. 
Another method of control which was tried by a private timber 
company on a large tract of privately owned land in southern 
Oregon is light burning. In the fall of 1922, fire was run through 
this tract while the pandora caterpillars were feeding. The smoke 
and heat caused them to drop to the ground, where they were de- 
stroyed. On account of the damage and danger which may ensue 
in the use of fire, this method is of questionable benefit. The remedy 
may easily be “worse than the disease.” 
TIGER MOTHS 
(Arctiidae) 
The tiger moths are so named on account of the contrasting colors 
shown by many. Some of the species are without markings, but 
the majority are unusually beautiful. The caterpillars are robust 
