10 July, 1916.] hi'^tct rests of Fruit, Flowers, and Vef/etahhs. 433 



INSECT PESTS OF THE FRUIT, FLOWER, AND 

 VEGETABLE GARDEN. 



AND HOW TO TREAT THEM. 



Bi/ C. Fre?ich, Jnr., Government Entomologist. 

 [Continued from page 317.) 



Case Moths. 



There are several species of stick-case insects, which attack vegetables, 

 fruit, and fruit trees, and garden plants. Most of the damage is done 

 by the insects before they are noticed. The perfect insects, in most 



cases, are small moths, the 

 females being destitute of 

 wings, and are rarely seen 

 outside their stick-hoiises. 

 The females bring forth 

 their young in myriads; 

 these latter escape in 

 crowds, let themselves down, 

 by a silk thread spun from 

 the lower lip of the case, 

 until they reach a twig or 

 leaf ; and then each im- 

 mediately begins to con- 

 struct a separate case of 

 tough Kilk, the outside 

 covered with particles of 

 bai'k, &c., to protect it 

 during the .period of its 

 larval existence. Tree- 

 growers will have noticed 

 little clusters of leaf -like 

 substances, which are con- 

 stantly on the move. If 

 these be examined carefully, 

 it will be seen that the mov- 

 ing objects are these insects 

 in their early stages; and 

 even when so small, it is 

 surprising the amount of 

 damage they do in a very 

 short space of time. The 

 orange case moth causes 

 considerable damage to 

 crauge, lemon, quince trees. 



Fig. 10. — Case Moths. 

 Miliini rlnrigafa, Saunders.) 



and vines. Several s])ec:es of the " lictor, or faggot case moths," which 

 appear at intervals in immense numl^ers. are very destructive to cypress 

 hedges near Melbourne. Fortunalelv, these case moths are easily 



