THE WHEAT MOTH. 129 



CHAPTER LXL 



THE WHEAT MOTH. 



( Tinea granella^ Linn.) 



Order : Lepidoptera. Family : Tineidm. 



This moth, when iu the larval state, is very destructive 

 to wheat and barley crops, as it attacks the grain just 

 when the latter is commencing to swell. The colour of 

 the moth (see Fig. L, which is magnified) is of a rich 

 brownish yellow, with larger greenish yellow under wings, 

 and is the size of those shown (see Figs. II. and IIa. ) The 

 larvae, which are small and active, are of the size of those 

 figured (see Fig. VI.), the pupa being brown as shown (see 

 Fig. IV.) When the eai^s are attacked the caterpillars 

 bore into the grain (see group), and eating out the 

 contents, leaving nothing but the husks remaining. Barley 

 and wheat are attacked in exactly the same manner, and 

 when the grubs are at work the plants on which they 

 appear turn a sickly yellow colour, difiPering somewhat in 

 appearance to those which are ripe. This moth belongs 

 to a family of which there are a large number of genera 

 and species, and by reason of their small size are known 

 to collectors as Micro-lepidoptera. In most countries, 

 excepting, of course, those situated in the extreme 

 northern and southern latitudes, these small moths are 

 very numerous, numbering at a low estimate many thou- 

 sands of species, many of these, as the codlin moth, 

 potato moth, cabbage and clothes moths, being amongst 

 the most troublesome of known insects. In Victoria we 

 have a large number of the Micro-lepidoptera nQ^\ gQw^rs^ 

 and species constantly turning up. Many of these insects 



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