19 



Fig. 11a— Bolhvorm, Gelechia gos- 

 sypiella Sdrs., larva. Nat. size. 

 (Photograph by author.) 



clers them unmistakable when observed with a hand lens, is 

 shown in Fig. 10. The number of eggs laid by a single moth 

 may be quite large. The eggs turn red before hatching. The 

 egg-stage occupies about ten days. 



The larva. The larva is the destructive stage of the insect 

 and the one in which it will be most generally noticed by the 



cotton-grower. When first hatched 

 the larva is very small and may 

 escape attention. For perhaps a day 

 it moves about over the surface and 

 then it commences to tunnel into the 

 bud or boll. A very small hole with 

 fine pellets of frass about its open- 

 ing, perhaps the hind portion of 

 the larva protruding, indicates the 

 point of entrance. Within the boll it 

 is hidden from view, but it is feed- 

 ing and growing all the time, and 

 when the boll bursts open a larva of considerable size will be 

 found inside. At this time the larva has a characteristic 

 appearance which renders it recognizable. It is about half 

 an inch long and an eighth wide, its color a dirty white with 



four rows of dark-colored spots on 

 the dorsum and one lateral row on 

 each side, the head dark brown and 

 the cervical and supra-anal shields 

 Pff* if JHh mostly black. Each dark-colored 

 i jBHIWB s P°t on the back represents a pro- 

 ig l L fe ^ '^JKm tuberance, from which arises a hair, 



| and around each spot is a suffusion 

 " of pink — which gives the larva the 



fig. lib-Boiiworm, Geiechia gos- popular name of pink bollworm. The 



sypiella Sdrs., pupa. Nat. size. • i . , j 



(Photograph by author.) larval Sta ^ e OCCUpieS about twenty- 



three days. 



The pupa. The larva usually pupates within the boll, form- 

 ing a light cocoon in the cotton square near the surface. The 

 chrysalis is brown and three-eighths of an inch in length. It 



