76 Second Report on Economic Zoology. 



the female of lapidella is not fertilised she dies, but the female 

 ferchaultella lays fertile eggs without connection with any male. 

 The eggs are placed in the empty pupa skin inside the case. As many 

 as fifty may be placed in one case ; they are pale yellowish white in 

 colour and irregularly oval in form. The case varies much in colour, 

 depending upon the lichens upon which the larva feeds ; it is made of 

 lichen, silk, etc., including grains of sand and mortar. The larva 

 which lives in the case crawls freely about. They especially inhabit 

 old walls and rocks, and spin a good deal of silk as they move about 

 (only at certain times however). When the larva is nearly ready to 

 pupate it fastens the wide open end of the case to the surface of the 

 lichens or wall and covers the opening with silk. The larva mainly 

 feeds on the whitish lichen known as Pleurococcus vulgaris, etc. The 

 larva pupates in the case and hatches into the adult in June and 

 July. 



The Common Footman Moth. 



[Lithosia complanula.) 



The Common Footman Moth {Lithosia complanula) is sometimes 

 sent by fruit-growers with enquiries as to its economy. As the larva? 

 feed only on lichens on walls and poplar trees, they are of no great 

 economic importance. The larvse occur in May and June ; they are 

 black in colour, unspotted, with a narrow reddish-yellow stripe from 

 the fifth to the eleventh segments just above the feet. They are 

 found in old fruit orchards, where they probably have been feeding 

 on the lichens on old apple trees, or else on the same lichens that 

 frequently grow on garden walls. 



Another Orchid Pest. 



Some orchid pests sent to the Museum proved to be Collembola ; 

 they were too poor in condition to make out definitely, but they 

 were species of OrchescUa. A correspondent referred to by the 

 sender was probably Mr. Coleman, of Gatton Park, whose orchids 

 have been attacked hj these spring-tails (of more than one genus) ; 

 notes on this appeared in the First Eeport on Economic Zoology. 

 It is the only record of orchids being damaged by Collembola, but 

 lots of other hothouse plants are infested by them. 



