388 
THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 
Moths— continued. 
front wings are rather narrow, the hind wings broad, 
and folded lengthwise. On each front wing are usually 
two spots, the inner round (orbicular stigma), the outer 
kidney-shaped (reniform stigma); and there are often two 
or more light cross lines. The hind wings are frequently 
Fic. 598. Gipsy Mori (FEMALE). 
unspotted (see Fig. 602). The body is usually thick 
and heavy. The colour of the whole insect is usually 
dull, though often the markings are very elegant when 
examined closely. A few Noctu are brightly coloured, 
or bear metallic spots on the wings. The larve are 
usually smooth-skinned and dull in colour, or are marked 
with bright lines, and spots occasionally. They generally 
Fig, 599, LACKEY MOTH. 
have five pairs of prolegs, though, in a few genera 
(Plusia, &c.}, the middle pairs of prolegs are small, or 
absent, forming a transition to the next tribe. Many of 
the larvæ are most hurtful to garden produce. They 
usually go underground to change into pupm. See 
Mamestra, Noctua, Plusia, and Potherb Moths. 
4. The Geometrina, or Looper Moths, are readily dis- 
tinguished from all others, except the few Noctue men- 
Fic. 600. TIGER MOTH. 
tioned above, by the larve being long and slender, and 
moving in a peculiar manner, known as looping. This is 
caused by the fact that the middle pairs of prolegs are 
useless, or are entirely wanting. Usually only the pairs 
on the last two rings of the body are present, and the 
aterpillar, in moving along, has to bring the hinder ex- 
tremity forward before fixing it and pushing forward the 
anterior part with the three pairs of true legs. Every 
step thus throws the body into a loop. The moths re- 
semble butterflies in their slender bodies, and in the 
size and form of the wings, as well as in their usnal 
attitude when at rest: The proboscis in them is usually 
small, or wanting. The antennm are slender, or may be 
Moths—continued. 
comb-like in the males. The colours are mostly. dull, 
often with very elegant lines or bars, but with neither 
stigma on the wings; a few are bright in colour. In a 
few genera, the females are nearly, or quite, wingless. 
The pups are usually concealed underground, in earthen 
cells. The larvæ usually feed exposed, or may spin leaves 
together, to obtain protection against danger from without. 
The Looper Moths are far less widely hurtful than the 
Noctuw, yet several species may be found referred to 
more at length under Gooseberry or Magpie Moth, 
Hybernia, and Winter Moth (which see). 
-A -knowledge of many of the Microlepidoptera, despite 
their very small size, is of great importance to gardeners, 
since they injure extremely the leaves and other parts of 
plants. The three great tribes of this group are as follows: 
Fig. 601. VAPOURER MOTH. 
1. Pyralidina. In this tribe are contained the largest 
of the Micros; but they seldom do much injury to garden 
produce, hence they need not be dwelt on here. They fre- 
quently approach small Noctuina in habit and appearance. 
2. Tortricina, or Leaf Roller Moths, are a very 
numerous group of small Moths, 4in. to lin. in spread 
of wings. The front wings are broad, with the front 
margin close to the base peculiarly arched; and one over- 
laps the other when folded. In colour, the front wings 
are frequently green, brown, rusty-brown, yellow, &c., 
Fic. 602, POTHERB MOTH. 
or are marked with peculiarly elegant spots or lines. 
Their palpi are short and inconspicuous; their larvæ 
are like those of Noctuina, save in size, and possess, gene- 
rally, five pairs of prolegs. They live, for the most part, 
between leaves, spun together, or rolled into tubes. See 
Leaf Rollers. The larve are very agile, dropping 
from their tubes at once when a bird tries to catch 
them there. Many of them are more or less injurious 
Fic. 603. CODLIN MOTH. 
to trees, and to cultivated plants, e.g., the Codlin Moth 
(Carpocapsa pomonana, see Fig. 603), and the genus Tortriz. 
_ 3. Tineina is a tribe of very wide numerical extent. It 
includes the smallest of the Moths, some of the species 
being extremely minute. They differ from Tortricina 
in having narrow wings, with long hind fringes; a slender 
body; proboscis very small, or absent; palpi long, pro- 
minent, and ascending; and the hind feet customarily 
long, and furnished with spurs; eyes naked. These 
Moths vary extremely in colour, their beauty of colouring 
under a microscope, being frequently unsurpassed in 
insects. The larve are usually smooth, or nearly so, and 
of the ordinary form. They vary much in number of pro- 
legs 3 five pairs is their usual number, but, in a few, there 
are six ill-formed pairs; in others, there are four pairs; 
and others are almost footless. The larve also vary 
