AUg. 1, 1924 
The Greenhouse Leaf- Tyer 
151 
then resumed spinning, later con¬ 
tinuing to feed in the same hole and 
consuming about the same amount 
•each time. After sufficient webbing had 
been formed, the larva crawled under 
it and fed at intervals, with inter¬ 
mittent periods of inactivity. 
In another instance a larva, while 
hatching, constructed webbing with 
diagonal and cross strands, which it 
-appeared to use as a foothold or brace 
in extricating itself from the eggshell, 
and as a path on which to crawl out. 
Webbing is associated with feeding 
during the several stages, and especially 
at the time of molting. Just prior to 
pupation the full-grown larva spins 
a slight silken cocoon within which the 
pupa transforms to the moth. 
PUPAL STAGE 
Pupation takes place in folded leaves, 
except when the plant is so badly 
skeletonized that the larva crawls off to 
seek the shelter of some crevice or pro¬ 
tected place. When the full-grown 
larva is ready to pupate, it forms a 
hiding place in one of the following 
ways, depending on the kind of leaves 
available: On geraniums it sometimes 
cuts each side of a portion of the leaf 
and folds it back, or it curls the edge of 
a leaf under, or laps a portion of the 
leaf surface which it fastened on the 
lower surface; and on marguerites and 
•chrysanthemums it rolls over portions of 
the leaf so carefully that it is difficult to 
detect the presence of the pupa within. 
The larva, which lines the leaf with 
a loose web of rather tough, white, 
silken strands, remains inside until it 
has transformed to the moth and is 
ready to emerge. It soon loses its 
characteristic greenish appearance, be¬ 
coming distinctly cream colored or 
yellowish, and its body contracts, so 
that it is much shorter and thicker. 
This prepupal stage was observed to 
last less than a day. The pupal case, 
within which transformation takes 
place, is soon formed, being light colored 
at first but usually growing darker in a 
few hours. With the exception of 
occasional lighter and darker specimens 
the majority of the pupae have a shining 
chocolate-brown color (PI. 2, F). 
Observations on 142 individuals, as 
shown in Table VII, representing six 
generations, indicate that it requires 
from 6 to 16 days, with an average of 
about 10 days, for the pupal period. 
Table VII.— Duration of pupal stage 
of Phlyctaenia rubigalis 
Generation 
Number 
of pupae 
Duration of pupal 
stage 
Minimum Maximum 
Days Days 
First_ 
7 
10 12 
Second_ 
30 
11 i 16 
Third_ 
54 
7 1 15 
Fourth_ . 
2 
9 1_ 
Eighth_ 
23 
6 10 
Ninth.... 
26 
8 ; io 
1 
SEASONAL HISTORY 
Table VIII.— Length and sequence of life cycles of Phlyctaenia rubigalis , 1921 
Generation 
Num¬ 
ber of 
Dates of— 
Length 
of life 
cycle 
speci¬ 
mens 
Egg deposition 
Adult emergence 
First-.- --- _ 
7 
Jan. 17 to 20 
Days 
(a) 
40-43 
{ 5 
Jan. 23 . _ _ _ 
Mar. 4to6__ __ 
8 
Jan. 23. 
Mar. 7 to 8 
43-44 
Second.. . . _ 
! 2 
Jan. 25_ 
Mar. 8 to 9 . 
42-43 
7 
Jan. 25 _ 
Mar. 9 to 14 _ 
43-48 
1 1 
Jan. 23_ 
Mar. 24__ _ 
60 
( 8 
Mar. 8.. ... ._ 
Apr. 15 to 16 .. 
38-39 
12 
Mar. 9_ 
Apr. 17 to 20.. . . 
39-42 
Third_ 
1 31 
Mar. 9 _ _ _ 
Apr. 21 to 24 _ . . _ 
43-46 
I 10 
Mar. 9_ 
Apr. 25 to 29 _ „ ., 
47-51 
l 12 
Mar. 10-. .. . 
Apr. 15 to 16 
36-37 
Fourth.. _ . _ __ _ 
(*>) 
(b) 
Apr. 18 to May 2 
May 26 to June 16 
38 
Fifth_ 
May 27. 
July 1 to 15_ 
35 
Sixth_ _ 
( b ) 
11 
July 2_ _ 
Aug 10_ _ _ 
39 
Aug. 10-. . _ 
Sept. 14 to 17 _ 
35-38 
Seventh_ _ 
21 
Aug. 12_ _ 
Sept. 18._ 
37 
41 
Aug. 13 __ 
Sept. 19 to 23 
37-41 
5 
Aug. 17. 
Sept 24 
38 
2 
Sept. 19_ . ... 
Oct. 24 to 26 _ 
35-37 
6 
Sept. 22. _ 
Oct. 31 to Nov. 4 _ . . 
39-43 
Eighth_ 
5 
2 
Sept. 23 to 24_ 
Sept. 26_ . - _ 
Nov. 7 to 8_ 
Nov. 8to9___ . _ 
45 
43-44 
5 
Sept. 27 to 29 
Nov. 9 to 10 
42-43 
3 
Sept. 30_ 
Nov. 8_ -J 
39 
( 4 
Oct. 29-_- _ 
Dec. 2 _ _ _ _ _ _i 
34 
Ninth_• 
5 
N ov. 1 _. 
Dec. 2 
31 
12 
Nov. 9. _ _ _ 
Dec. 8 to 9_ _ ! 
29-30 
I 5 
Nov. 10 
Dec. 10 to 12_ i 
30-22 
« Partial life cycle. 
t> Specimens not confined. 
