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POPULAR PAPERS ON ENTOMOLOGY. 



ENTOMOLOGY FOR BEGINNERS. 



By Wm. Saunders, London, Ont. 

 The Apple-Lea.f Crumpler (Phycita nebulo). 



Fia. 1. 



During the winter there will often be found on apple trees clusters of curious little 

 cases, partly and sometimes wholly hidden by por- 

 tions of crumpled and withered leaves, as shown in 

 fig. 1. The -withered leaves are firmly fastened to 

 the cases by silken threads, and the cases to the 

 bark of the twig on which they are placed. Each 

 case resembles a long miniature horn, wide at one end, 

 tapering almost to a point at the other, and twisted 

 in a very odd manner, as shown at a and 6, fig. 2. 

 It is curiously constructed of silk interwoven with 

 the castings of the artificer, is lined internally with 

 smooth, whitish silk, externally it is rougher and 

 of a yellowish brown colour. 



Within this curious structure there dwells a 

 small caterpillar, which during the winter months 

 remains torpid, awakening to activity with the warmth of spring. As the leaves of the 

 apple tree begin to expand, the larva draws those that are nearest to it towards the case, 



and feeds on them, retreating quickly within its 

 case when danger threatens. When full grown it 

 is about six-tenths of an inch long, its body tapering 

 slightly towards the hinder extremity. The head is 

 dark reddish brown, and the body dull greenish 

 brown ; the next segment to the head has a dark 

 horny plate above and a flattened blackish promin- 

 ence on each side. The head and anterior segments 

 are shown at c in the figure. On each of the other 

 segments there are several small black dots, from 

 each of which arises a single pale brown hair. When 

 mature, which is usually during the early part of 

 June, it closes the end of its case, and changes to a 

 chrysalis within, about four-tenths of an inch long 

 and of a reddish brown colour, and in about a fort- 

 night the moth appears. 



When its wings are spread, the moth {d, fig. 2) 

 measures about seven-tenths of an inch across. Its 

 fore wings are pale brown, with streaks and patches 

 of silvery white, the hind wings plain brownish 

 white ; the under side of both wings paler. There 

 is only one brood in a year. The moths deposit 

 their eggs in the summer, and the larvae construct their cases and attain about one-third 

 of their growth before winter sets in. 



Where the insects are abundant they become very injurious, consuming the young 

 growth as it expands and materially affecting the vigour of the tree. To subdue them, 

 pick the crumpled leaves with the cases from the trees and destroy them. 



Fig. 2. 



