The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1912-05-04
The Cooling Moth.
(From Idaho Country LIFE
By c. H. HEARD, 10


One of the very worst enemies of
the apple grower is the cooling moth.
1t alone is responsible for the loss OF
from few per cent, to, in some cases,
almost the entire crop Of fruit. This
pest is the common cause OF Wormy
apples. 1t causes infested fruit to ripen
prematurely and fall from the trees.
To know how to combat an enemy
of this kind, one must know its habits
and life history.
There are four different forms i'll
which we find the cooling moth. These
are: Egg. 2.-Larva. 5--Pupa.
4.-Adult.
The eggs are about the size of a
pinhead, hattened, oval in shape and
whitish (later becoming darker in
color The moths deposit their eggs
in the calyx or eye of the apple, and
on the leaves and twigs during the
poisoning period. In eight or ten
days the egg matches into worm
which eats into the fruit and feasts
ravenously and sumptuously for aDout
twenty days or until it is ready to be-
gin preparation for the pupa stage
The larval or worm stage is the
stage in which most damage is done.
The larva is flesh colored and has
brownish head When Matched from
the egg it is about one-sixteenth 81 an
inch and when full grown about three
fourths of an inch in length.
The larva has three pairs Of legs on
the thorax and five pairs of pro-legs
on the body.
The first brood of larva feed in the
calyx a few days before entering the
fruit, hence it is very important to
make the first spraying very thorough.
After becoming full grown, the lar
va eats its way out and spins web
Or crawls down the branches till it
finds some suitable place to pupate
such as holes, cracks in the bark or
even clods When the larva finds a
suitable place it constructs silken CO.
,oon about itself.
Ordinarily, the larva changes into
he pupa stage in a few days, but it
nay remain in a larval condition till
he following spring when it will form
he pupa.
The pupa is yellowish or brownish
n color (later becoming dark brown
nd is about half an inch in length.
The length of this stage will vary
much but it will average about twenty
lays from the spinning of the cocoon
i'll the moth energies.
The moth or adult is grayish to
rown in color, about one-half an inch
1 length and has wing expanse of
bout three-fourths of an inch. The
ore wings are brownish gray with
rayish cross lines. One of the dis
features is a brown spot
ear the tip of each wing The back
,ings are grayish and have dark
largin.
The moth, when at rest, is hard to
from the bark of the tree,
wing to the resemblance in color. 1t
rely flies at night. Soon after emerg
g the sexes mate and the female, de-
osit their eggs (about fifty for each
dividuaD.
The life cycle from egg to egg re-
Tires about fifty days
There are from one to three broods
1ring the season varying with local
Y and climatic condition
REMEDIES.
Spray with arsenate of lead, ID.
so gallons of water while the last
ossoms are falling and repeat as
on as possible Use a Bordeaux
orce) nozzle and spray into every
'wer. popular Bulletin No 43,
ash Ayr Ex Sta.)
Oftho-arsenite of zinc, lb to 100
Hons of water maye be used instead
the arsenate of lead The calyx re-
aims open from six to eight days,
nee the Importance Of spraying at
e right time. 1t is very important
fill each calyx cup with poison and
have it ready for the larva rs it
axes its first meal A thorough
raging at this time greatly reduces
: second brood. The second brood
likes its entrance ordinarily where
0 fruits are touching.
If further spraying is desirable,
-ay about thirty days later.
Clean cultivation tends to prevent
, cooling moth from undergoing
in the soil.
The destruction of fallen fruit is de-
cable Bands of burlap, six inches
lie, are often fastened around the :
nks of the trees early in the season.
my worm will be found under these
Ids. The bands should be examined