Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-01

Fig y; at ten days, three eighths of
an inch, and about as thick as No. 20 wire
(E, Fig. q. 1t has burrowed by this time
about three. fourths of the distance to the
seed bag of fruit (B, Fig. 2) at twenty
days, nearly full natural size (c, Fig. II,
and often as large as e, Fig. l.
When the larva is ready to assume the
| pupa or chrysa form it leaves the fruit
by gnawing hole through the pericarp
! &c, Fig. p. Nature has supplied it with a
spinneret, the opening apparently in the
lower lip from which issues a viscid fluid
in fine stream, and hardens into silk on
contact with the air. By this means it
lowers itself to the ground or intervening
| branches. If it reaches the ground it i'm
mediately crawls toward the tree, and on
its journey can often be seen as G, Fig. l.
On reaching the tree, it searches for nest
ing place under the loose bark in the
croches, or any cavity it can find. If it
comes in contact with branch when leav
ing fruit, it generally crawls toward the
crotches, or until it reaches a hiding
place. II under the loose bark it COM
mences building an oval-shaped wall,
about one-sixteenth of an inch high, COM
posed of the viscid fluid from spinneret,
and sometimes mixed with pieces gnawed
off the bark the cover is then put on the
nest by using spinneret ; the whole com
pleted in twenty four hours Ia, Fig. u. If
in a crevice of the bark, the nest is made
in different shapes. 1t is noticeable in the
winter nest the tops and sides are washed
with fluid from spinneret, making the nest
waterproof to great extent
The moth remains in the pupa or chrys-
ais form from nine to twelve days, in
our usual May weather. At the proper
time the pupa case is burst open, and the
perfect moth appears u, Fig ~ 1t may
be asked, Chow does the moth get out of
the nest SO neatly made, etc." By some
freak of nature, about twenty four hours
before transformation, the pupa is forced
through one end of the nest q, Fig. y, so
! that the perfect insect can easily escape.
The chrysalids of this moth are capable of
moving lively at any time. From time to
time they assume the chrysalis or pupa form
until the insect escapes perfect
PROBABLE RATE OF INCREASE OF THESE
MOTHS.
Entomologists claim that of the lepi-
dopterous insects, including butterflies and
moths, nearly one thousand kinds are
known in the United States. That each
female lays from 200 to 500 eggs. Taking
200 as the lowest number, twelve female
moths in one orchard would produce 9, 400
caterpillars; if one-half these were females,
they would produce 100000. In proper
ton, the third generation would reach "a,
900, 900. From the observations stated,
we are led to believe that the destruction of
this pest must be consummated while it is
in the caterpillar state.
Is this pest of the orchard only found
in California The damage done by this
pest in the States east of the Rocky Noun
tains is too well known to need repeating.
At the present time it is doing so much
damage to the fruit crop in parts OF Aus
tralia that Commission has been appoint
ed in Tasmania to investigate and report.
THE report, if made, has not reached us J
For comparison, we give written state
ment by Joseph Crowley of Lord street,
Sandy Bay, as reported to the Commission
taken from the Melbourne Aust1utdsia,a,
July u, 1879, allowance to be made as to
dates for difference of seasons in Australia
and California:
81 first observed affected apples in my
garden early in January. l took the af-
nutely. At this time there was on some
of the affected apples a red spot, with a
brown speck in the center, which l sup
posed to be the egg; at this stage l could
not find any grub. Next stage, small
hole covered with excrement, and l found
the grub, but very small, about one-eighth
of an inch under the surface of the apple.
found some near the core of the apple,
and able to crawl about lively when taken
out of the apple. If not taken out, the
grub will eat its way into the core OF the
apple, and, in most cases, will eat the pips ;
then it will bore its way on through the
side, or along the core through the eye OF
the apple. l am told that they weave a
web by which they descend from the apple
to the ground have not seen them do
ing so, but have found the web attached
to the apple and floating in the air. The
apples SO pierced by the grub generally fall
to the ground they are sure to do
this if the core is eaten away, and