THE TOMATO MOTH. 49 



CHAPTER XL VI. 



THE TOMATO MOTH. 



(^Heliotkris aynnigei^a^ Huhn.^ 



Order : Lepidoptera. Family : Noctuidae. 



This moth, which is also known in America as the 

 " Boll-worm," belongs to a gronp which for real destruc- 

 tiveness can hardly be surpassed. 



The moth itself is the size of the one shown in Fig. II., 

 but it varies also in colour, the larvae, or caterpillar, 

 especially so. The larva is either a greenish white or a 

 dirty brown, with markings as hereafter described, and is 

 widely distributed, being found nearly over the whole of 

 Australia, also throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and 

 America. The eggs of this moth are deposited by the 

 female in the spring, October and November in Victoria 

 being the months in which the moths appear most plen- 

 tiful upon the stalks and leaves of plants, also upon 

 stubble, in haystacks, and elsewhere, and* when hatched 

 the larvae commence to feed upon the surrounding plants. 

 In the case of the tomato, it has been noticed that the 

 eggs are deposited also on the leaves and stem, the young 

 larvae crawling up the stem and at once eating their way 

 into the fruit (see Fig. I.), which they speedily destroy. 

 When full grown, the larvae descend into the soil, and 

 just below the surface assume the pupa stage, from which 

 they emerge as a perfect moth, the females of which at 

 once commence to perjietuate their species, the egg- 

 laying, to the number of from 40 to 60, and even more, 

 being deposited in a very short time. There is scarcely 

 any limit to the number of plants which this pest will 



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