216 



Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 April, 1916. 



slightly barred wings, measuring three-quarters of an inch in length. 

 It is also extremely active, and when disturbed flies to the ground, 

 and remains motionless. The moth deposits its eggs on the young 

 flower buds or fruit, and the eggs hatch in a short time. The young 

 caterpillars at once commence to bore into the flowers or young fruits, 

 and very shortly destroy them. When one bud is eaten out, they leave 

 it and commence on another, and so on until they are fully grown, 

 which usually takes about a fortnight. They then curl up, join a couple 

 of leaves together, and spin a kind of silken web. They next turn into 

 the chrysalis, and hat<;h out as perfect moths, ready to commence their 

 destructive work in the garden. This pest is very destructive to apples, 

 grapes, &c. I would advise 

 that arsenate of lead be 

 sprayed on the plants. It will 

 poison the caterpillars as soon 

 as they commence to feed. An 

 excellent plan is to place a 

 light on a brick in a dish half- 

 full of water or kerosene at 

 night time in the garden ; the 

 light will attract the moths, 

 which will fly against it and 

 fall into the water or kerosene 

 and be destroyed. These cater- 

 pillars usually appear in num- 

 bers from October to March. 



The Red Spider. 



The red spider is well known 

 to lovers of flowers. It belongs 

 to the mites, and is, therefore, 

 strictly speaking, not an in- 

 sect. This species has been 

 found on a great number of 

 fruit trees and on garden and 

 vegetable plants of all descrip- 

 tions. It is a variable mite, 

 -some being almost transparent, 

 others reddish or brick red. 

 When the eggs hatch, the 

 young mites swarm upon the fig. 4._Red Spider (Tetranyclms telarius). 

 foliage and expanding flowers, 



and suck up the juices. The plants, vegetables, and other vegetation 

 soon show the influence of their presence by the sickly yellow hue of the 

 foliage. During hot weather, this is one of the worst pests growers of 

 vegetables have to contend with, as they destroy beans, potatoes, pump- 

 kins, and the like. The red spider is not a difiicult pest to destroy, 

 as, unlike many other pests, it has no wings, and spreads mainly by 

 the use of its tiny legs. Migration does not extend far from its winter 

 quarters. This makes every growers' problem virtually his own. In 

 other words, if the infestation has always come from a certain fruit 

 tree, plant, &c., proper attention to these will yield results, in spite 



