Jane 14, 1877. J 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



447 



cially caltivatioD, with a view to the suggestion of remedies, 

 prevention of insect attack, or limitation of injary. The dis- 

 tribution of these papers is somewhat of an experiment, but 

 similar observations taken and recorded by members of the 

 Meteorological Society have not been without benefit ; and it 

 is hoped that agriculturists, horticulturists, and field natural- 

 ists will each lend their best support as the object is a worthj 

 one. If reliable information can only be obtained from compe- 

 tent observers (which on the prepared forms would cost them 

 but a few minutes' occasional labour), it is intended to digest 

 it into a report primarily for the benefit of the observers, and 

 which could not fail to be of great value to the country at 

 large. Few but those scientifically or practically concerned 

 know the heavy money losses constantly going on from insect 

 causes in the crops ; but it is only by co-operation in observa- 

 tion that the root of the evil can be thoroughly reached. 

 Further information may be obtained of the Rev. T. A. Pres- 

 ton, Marlborough, Wilts ; or of Edward A. Fitch, Maldon, 

 Essex." — (Entomologist.) 



CHAPTEBS ON INSECTS FOE GAEDENEKS. 



No. 18. 



The modern philosopher who can explain every natural 

 phenomenon beautifully if you will only grant his theory 

 that, time enough being given, the oyster of one era can 

 develope into the man of a later era, accepts the circumstance 

 that insects of one order sometimes closely resemble those 

 of a different order, and fits together theory and fact, to his 

 own satisfaction at least. What his idea about it is need 

 not concern us here ; but it is singular that certain of the 

 moths which follow the Hawk Moth group so closely approach 

 in size and in form the various species of flies that at a little 

 distance off even a naturalist might be deceived. We who 

 lecognise in this and similar instances the hand of a Creator 

 operating, not from caprice but wisely — if we do not see the 

 reason for such resemblances in all cases, may yet be satisfied 

 that they are not merely accidental. Many birds feed both 

 on moths and on flies, probably they give the preference to 

 the latter ; yet it may partially account for the scarcity of 

 some species in the Clearwing family of mothe, that just when 

 they come out on the wiug sundry flies rather like them are 

 abroad, and followed up by bird enemies. But the resemblance 

 may also be occasionally protective, for I have seen a gardener 

 running about in the June sun, armed with scissors-net, in 

 chase of Currant Clearwings, much baulked by his frequent 

 captures of the flies which he swept off the leaves where they 

 settled in proximity to the moths. 



In the little group of Sesidce, then, we have moths which 

 are as fond of the sunshine as are the butterflies, though they 

 may also be observed hovering over blossoms in the dusk of 

 evening. To one or two species, however, honey olfers no 

 attractions ; and though they must nee their wings at times, 

 either from their stealthy mode of flight or their similarity to 

 the Diptera, little is known about their ai/rial performances. 

 But what Newman says of the majority is quite true : in their 

 movements they are indeed " elegant, graceful, and fairy-like." 

 Though the long legs are like those of flies, the long thickened 

 antennie when inspected at once suggest the kinship of the 

 species to such huge moths as the Privet Hawk for instance. 

 The transparent and narrow wings have little colouring, but 

 the body has a variable number of bright belts and a fan-like 

 tuft at the tail, which is expanded when the insect is on the 

 wing. Beauty, however, is no characteristic of the caterpillars 

 of the Clearwings, their resemblance to the maggots being 

 marked ; and though they possess feet they seem helpless in 

 crawling, their mode of life being that of a miner, and their 

 dexterity in wriggling up and down the galleries they make in 

 Btems or twigs is considerable. Thus hidden from view these 

 caterpillars can do some damage to plants while the cause 

 remains undiscovered, for, as a general rule, the habitation of 

 one of these larva; continues in a living if not in a thriving 

 state until the creature no longer requires it. The language 

 used by Mr. Wood in referenco to the Clearwings is assuredly 

 exaggerated, for he declares they rank amongst our worst foes, 

 and that, supposing them a little more numerous, they would 

 be as much dreaded as the wireworm and Turnip fly. But 

 which is the most troublesome species of all the Seaid:i; '.' 

 Undoubtedly S. tipuliformis ; yet from a continued series of 

 observations on the habits of this species I am enabled to state 

 that if it kills Currant bushes it does. so very slowly, nor does 

 it materially interfere with the productiveness of the bushes 



in ordinary seasons. Moreover, the insect is not by any means 

 generally distributed, though when it has once appeared in a 

 locality it usually manages to keep up a succession, despite 

 the gardener's watchfulness. Cutting off twigs or branches 

 that appear dead does not much affect the caterpillar of this 

 Clearwing, because it is not easy to track the caterpillar from 

 the old mines to those it has subsequently bored. The growth 

 of the caterpillar is slow, as is the case with other pith-feeders, 

 the life being, as I think, extended over two seasons, but there 

 is always an annual flight of the perfect insect. 



Resembling this species in its yellow-banded body, yet dis- 

 tinguishable by the lighter hue of the legs, is the Yellow-legged 

 Clearwing (S. cynipitormis), which draws every June a small 

 party of eager-eyed entomologists to an investigation of the Elm 

 and Oak trees in Hyde Park, where the species has regularly oc- 

 curred for many years. It is found also in a few other places, 

 especially on the coast. The caterpillar leads a somewhat 

 different life from that of S. tipuliformis, for it forms galleries 

 on the trunks of the trees just under the bark, on the surface 

 of the wood, and it resides, as I imagine, at its earliest period 

 in the bark. No injury seems to be attributable to its influ- 

 ence, as the caterpillars are not crowded into a small space 

 on the tree, and young trees are rarely visited by the moth. 

 More can be alleged against the character of S. myopjeformis, 

 one of the three species of Clearwings having a red belt en- 

 circling the body. In some of the orchards at Fulham and 

 Putney it is (or was) pretty common, feeding in the wood of 

 both the Apple and Pear, giving preference to the branches, 

 though now and then piercing a line of galleries in the trunk, 

 where a number of the caterpillars have been observed burrow- 

 ing in close order. The fall of some branches in a gust of 

 wind must be ascribed to the work of this Clearwing ; but so 

 far as I am aware instances of its killing trees are uncommon, 

 nor does it appreciably interfere with the production of fruit 

 in the orchards it frequents, and beside such a species as the 

 Little Ermine Moth it is but an insignificant foe. Possibly, 

 since the Red-belted Clearwing is found in two districts of 

 Surrey and Middlesex adjacent to each other, the slight-looking 

 moth is equal to the bold feat of flying across the Thames. 



The Large Red-belted (S. Culiciformis) is a wood insect, the 

 moth depositing its eggs on Birch stumps, though it will attack 

 growing trees : it is similar in habit to its brethren. Also 

 red-banded as well as red-tipped is the Red-tipped Clearwing 

 (S. FormicEformis), not uncommon near London amongst the 

 Osier beds on the upper Thames. The moth is abroad at 

 midsummer. The caterpillar lies hidden in the pith of various 

 species of Salix, liking best small twigs. Though it has been 

 reported as prolific enough to be injurious to the Osiers in 

 some years, I have never heard of an authenticated instance 

 of recent date. In point of fact none of the Clearwings are 

 particularly prolific, and one or two species have been less 

 common than formerly. Passing several rare and local species 

 we come to the couple of Hornet Clearwings (S. Bombyciformis 

 and Apiformis). The latter, which is the more frequent of 

 the two, has so close a resemblance to a hornet that each 

 summer it alarms a number of nervous people ; it is also able 

 to produce a humming sound. But it is quite harmless, nor 

 does the caterpillar do very material damage to the Poplar, 

 though it sometimes attacks saplings, feeding unseen for nearly 

 two years. S. Bombyciformis in the larval condition resides 

 within the branches of Sallow or shoots of the Osier. 



In the family Zeuzeridaj there are only three British species, 

 two of these being important from the destructive effects they 

 produce upon trees. The large Goat Moth caterpillar (Zyleutes 

 CoBsus), is often to be seen at the heart of some Willow or 

 Poplar, which has on account of its unpromising condition 

 been doomed to the axe, and occasionally at early morn a 

 caterpillar may be seen taking an excursion from one tree to 

 another. Despite its size, the Brown-winged Moth is seldom 

 noticed, though it rests on trunks of trees in the daytime, for 

 its colour harmonises with the grey or brown of the bark. 

 Every female killed before oviposition has taken place is a 

 gain in a park or plantation, as thereby hundreds of larva3 are 

 stifled ere birth, and as the caterpillar life lasts two or three 

 years, the quantity of wood a single individual can devour or 

 damage is considerable, though it will seldom happen that one 

 caterpillar can effect the ruin of a tree. And under all cir- 

 cumstances it should be remembered that the mischief done is 

 not solely traceable to the jaws of the caterpillar of the Goat, 

 for the air-holes it pierces as it grows large admit rain and 

 frost to the heart of a tree. The disused mines of the Goat 

 caterpillar are, besides taken possession of by other insects, 



