THE LEAF-ROLLER ON BOX-ELDER. 
(Cacecia semiferana Walk. ) 
During the middle of June, many of the box-elders along the 
Interurban Electric Railroad in St. Paul were seen to be suffer- 
ing from the attacks of an insect which had, in some instances, 
nearly stripped the trees of their foliage. A closer examina- 
tion showed the culprit to be asmall green caterpillar, which 
formed a cool and airy nest for itself by bringing together the 
two sides of a leaf and then fastening the edges together with 
silk, (Fig. 52, Plate 9). Inside this swinging cradle the cat- 
erpillar lived, reaching out and eating the leaf from which its 
habitation was constructed, so that this cradle furnished both 
shelter and food. Whenever disturbed, the caterpillars drop 
from their dwelling places and, spinning a long thread, remain 
suspended by it in mid-air. When the danger is passed, the 
caterpillar re-ascends this thread sailor-fashion, hand-over- 
hand. ‘The leaf-rollers were so numerous that the trees suf 
fered very greatly and were, in some instances, in danger of 
being killed. Figure 53, Plate 10, shows one tree which was 
badly infested and nearly defoliated, a second one very 
much injured and one nearly free from the pest. The caterpil- 
lar causing this injury is a pretty, innocent appearing green 
fellow, about three-fourths of an incb in length. Its color isa 
very delicate apple-green, with a darker green stripe down its 
back. The mandibles and minute eye-spots are black. Many 
specimens were collected with their leafy dwellings and placed 
in a breeding-cage to rear the adults and whatever parasites 
might be present. | 
On June 25, many of the larve had entered the pupal stage. 
Remaining in the rolled leaf, they shed their skins and became 
pupe (Fig. 52, Plate 9). In this stage they are somewhat 
lighter in color than the caterpillars. On each of the first two 
abdominal segments there is a dark-brown, transverse oblong 
spot. Hach of the succeeding segments, except the last two, 
has a fine, transverse line. At about this time the adult moths 
commence to emerge. The pupal skin is usually left partly 
protruding from the fold in the leaf, the illustration showing 
the rent down the back through which the moth emerged. 
