172 



INSECTS INJURIOUS TO THE PLUM. 



Fig. 184. 



When mature, the caterpillar proceeds to spin its cocoon 



within an enclosure 

 -^^^- ^^^' usually formed by 



drawing together some 

 of the leaves of the 

 tree it has fed upon, 

 some of which are 

 firmly fastened to the 

 exterior of the struc- 

 ture. The cocoon (Fig. 

 183) is a tough, pod-like enclosure, nearly oval m form, and 

 of a brownish-white color, and within it the larva changes to 



an oval chrysalis, of a chestnut- 

 brown color, represented in Fig. 

 184. Usually, the cocoons drop 

 to the ground with the fall of the 

 leaves, remaining there during 

 the winter. 



Late in May or early in June 

 the prisoner escapes from its cell 

 as a large and most beautiful moth, the male of which is 

 shown in Fig. 185, the female in Fig. 186. The antennae are 

 feathered in both sexes, but more widely so in the male than 

 in the female. The wings,' which measure, when expanded, 

 from five to six inches across, are of a rich buff or ochre- 

 yellow color, sometimes inclining to a pale-gray or cream 

 color, and sometimes assuming a deeper, almost brown shade. 

 Towards the base of the wings they are crossed by an ir- 

 regular pale-white band, margined with red ; near the outer 

 margin is a stripe of pale purplish white, bordered within by 

 one of deep, rich brown, and about the middle of each wing 

 is a transparent eye-like spot, with a slender line across its 

 centre; those on the front wings are largest, nearly round, 

 margined with yellow, and edged outside with black. On 

 the hinder wings the spots are more eye-like in shape, are 

 bordered with yellow, with a line of black edged with blue 



