The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-03-25
The Yellow.Necked Apple-Tree Cater
pillar.

To every orchardist the larva Of the
Datana natntstra is known, yet few are
able to recognize the moth itself. 1t be-
longs to that family of Lepidoptera called
Notodontid9; is seldom seen, and, If
seen, only recognized by those who have
known it before. 1t measures, when the
wings are expanded, from one and half
to two and fourth inches. The moth
varies in color according to the food
previously fed upon; and, since the larva
feeds upon the leaves OF the apples,
cherry, ounce, oak, hickory, and numer-
Gus other trees, the color of the moth
varies. The under wings are much
lighter in color than the upper, being
usually of a pale-yellowish or whitisn
color; the posteri0r margin of q deepsr
color. The upper wings vary from
bright yellow to smoky brown, crossed
by four or five narrow bands. The dy
itself is of q yellowish color, sometimes
inclining to red.
The larva, when fully grown, is gen.
orally about two inches long; those feed
ing on the leaves of the apple being
covered with white hairs as long as the
body is wide. They vary with the food
eaten, but are generally found of black
color, with four yellowish stripes on each
side of the body.
The eggs are deposited on the under
side of the leaves, in dense patch, near
ly 100 in number; these are white aud
round. As soon as Matched the larvae
commence eating the under side of the
leaves; but as they increase in size they
eat the entire leaf, except the midrib
They do not spin common web, as the
tentcaterpillars do, yet they are stric ly
gregarious, eating from one branch or
twig until the leaves are all consumed
and then migrating to another.
The most interesting feature of these
Larvae is daring the melting season,
when they all come down upon the trunk
of the tree aid cling in one body to the
bark, assisted in this position by a silken
thread passed among them. They re
main in this position without food usual
ly two days and toh nights, when they
cast off their old skins and commence
crawling up the trunk of the tree to their
food, leaving the old empty skins al
tached to the tree.
have observed them on the hickory,
cling to one of the upper branches, when
molting, instead OF coming down; but
this is only the case when the tree is old
enough for the branches to become as
large as that of a cOmmOn-sized tree.
When suddenly alarmed they assume a
peculiar position by throwing the head
and tail at right angles with the rest of
the body; and that is also observed when
nesting. They have six true legs and
eight prop legs-lhe aforementioned dis
appearing when changed to the moih.
When they become fully grown their
social habits change and tor the first time
they separate and wanuer of alone be-
fore entering the pupa state.
Their Larvae do not make their appear
ance until midsummer and remain until
the frost has destroyed the leaves in the
fall. They remain in the pupa state
during the winter, changing to the moth
state when warm weather comes. Owing
TO the fact that they eat the entire leaves
upon branch before migrating to an
other the tree deprecated upon assumes
an unsightly appearance when cultivated
for shade Or ornament; bat upon the ap-
ple-tree it decreases its vigor and there
by lessons the value of the fruit. There
fore care should be taken that they be
destroyed. This can easily be done, dur.
ing any Of the melting seasons, by de-
taching the caterpillars from the trunk
or limb and burning or scalding them.
There are but few birds that feed upon
this insect In the larva state, therefore
fruit growers should depend principally
upon their own exertions for the de.
stsuction of this enemy to the orchard.
ist-Oor. CAioego Tribune.
THE MASON b HAkL1N ORGAN Go. have
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