THE BLUE GUM MOTH. 55 



CHAPTER XLYII. 



THE BLUE GUM MOTH. 



{Mnesampela 'privata^ Gn.) 



Order : Lepidoptera. Family : Selidosemida'. 



A brown moth, size and colour as per Figs. II. and III., 

 the larvae of which do great damage in our gum forests, 

 more especially to young trees, the epidermis or surface 

 of the leaves often being entirely skeletonized (see Fig. I.) 

 which causes the leaves to die and fall off, and also 

 destroys the shoots. In the vast forests which are here 

 preserved by the State for economic purposes, the de- 

 struction caused by these grubs is eiiormous, as many as 

 50 having often been seen at work on one small branch. 

 Upon referring to Fig I., it will be seen that these cater- 

 pillars have a singular halnt of clustering together in a 

 bunch, more especially when recently hatched from the 

 eggs, and over which cluster a sort of film is placed, and 

 under which the grubs are. As a rule, this moth is not 

 very common, owing, it is supposed, to the grubs being- 

 attacked by some flies, either Ichneumon or allied genera, 

 which destroys the caterpillars in great numbers. Many 

 years ago it was almost impossible to find a gum sapling, 

 especially those of eucalyptus globulus (blue gnm), that 

 were free from these pests, and as so many of our native 

 insects have left their natural food in favour of the im- 

 ported article, it was thought necessary to flgure the 

 insect under notice, so that should it make its appearance 

 in our orchards, growers would not only be able to recog- 

 nise it by the plate, but would also be the bet er prepared 



