MOTHS

Troi the foliage of shape trees and many shrubs they may be checked by spraying and trees that are free of them may be protected by bending the tree trunks with grease the caterpillar at the lower right is changing its skin after three days of feeding in molting the skins flipped in front the caterpillar wiggles and wiggles finally pulling itself out of the old skin at the end of the first month the caterpillar has an odd costume though not a pretty one the mass of bristles helps to protect this creature from hungry Birds several days later the caterpillar again molds each successive change reveals it in a different color and pattern the four white Tufts of hair along the back have given it the name tussock moth the body is striped yellow and black other tests of long black hairs help to give it a distinctive appearance the larvae of the white marked tussock moth feeds almost continuously often stripping trees and shrubs of their leaves it eats the harder leaf veins as well as the softer part now that the caterpillar is full-grown it travels above until it finds a place suitable for building its cocoon usually a tree trunk however in this caterpillar between two leaves is spinning silk threads about itself the still coming from spinnerets near the mouth it weaves the hairs from its body into the cocoon which is Grace brown in appearance a marvelous piece of workmanship a striking example of the building skill of insects here the top part of the cocoon has been cut away to show the creature changing from a caterpillar to a pupa after a few days the pupil skin forms under that of the caterpillar when this has been done the caterpillar skin splits open in front the pupa slowly frees itself notice that the pupa is short and stout whereas the caterpillar was long and slender after a while the pupa skin hardens and takes a definite shape it also darkens in color two or three weeks later the cocoon begins to show activity then a head appears at the top of the silken chambers and after a while the entire body comes forth this is a female classic model like all females of this kind of law she never has more than the crude beginnings of wings and space near the cocoon from which he emerged here she awaits her mate another cocoon is breaking open we know that this is a male tussock moth because it has well-developed wings the male rents near the cocoon for about an hour then his wings will have developed and become strong enough to carry him wherever he wishes to go the male is grayish brown in color he has feathery projections on the outer margin of the wings he is not a beautiful moth even though the caterpillar is considered a beautiful creature by some people on his hip are two large feathery antennae it is extremely probable that through these even at long distances the male sent his mate who still remains near her cocoon at any rate the male in some way finds his wingless mate the female lays about 400 eggs on the cocoon beginning at the bottom she covers them with a fluffy substance which helps to protect them from the winter weather having completed the important functions of her life the female dies even though many moth caterpillars damage plants clothing and furniture others supplies with silk and many moths aid in the cross fertilization of flowers