WOOD LEOPARD MOTH. 321 



an inch and a half long, whitish, or yellow, or ochry, with a 

 black horny plate on the segment behind the head, and the 

 tail segment also is partially black and horny. The other 

 segments have each four raised black spots on each side, and 

 the head is black, or has two black spots. 



They feed (or feed at intervals) through the winter until 

 May or June (statements are made that they live for two 

 years), and, when full-fed, they spin a web, or form a case of 

 wood-dust, in which they change to an ochreous brown, long, 

 cylindrical chrysalis. This web is usually woven just inside 

 the bark, near the entrance of the boring, so that when the 

 time for development is come the chrysalis forces itself through 

 the opening, and, by means of the fine prickles with which it 

 is furnished along the back, it is held firmly in the web whilst 

 the moth frees itself, and leaves the empty case projecting 

 from the tree. 



The moth is large and handsome, the female from about 2|- 

 to 2| inches in spread of the wings, the male much smaller. 

 TJie wings are somewhat transparent, and are white with blackish 

 or blue-black spots, the spots being darkest on the fore wings, 

 which also have yellow veins. The body between the wings 

 is white spotted with black, and the abdomen grey, or grey 

 banded with black. 



It is stated that the female moths appear somewhat later 

 than the male, and may be found until the end of August.* 



Specimens of this attack, chiefly in caterpillar stage, are 

 not unfrequently sent me, but it is very rarely mentioned as 

 being prevalent. In 1879 it was more common than usual 

 near Maldon, in Essex; and, during severe weather in the 

 winter of that year, a few specimens of caterpillars were brought 

 to me in small boughs, or rather in thick twigs, at Isleworth 

 (near London), quite uninjured by the cold. In 1880 it was 

 noticed as very numerous at Craighall, Blairgowrie, Perth- 

 shire ; many empty pupa-cases being observable in young 

 Poplars at the water's edge, and it was also observed in that 

 year as very injurious in fruit and timber trees at West Ham, 

 in Essex (so that measures were taken to destroy the cater- 

 pillar), but excepting these observations no notes have been 

 sent of it as a serious infestation. 



Prevention and Eemedies. — The caterpillars may be des- 

 troyed (hke those of the Goat Moth) by drawing them out of 

 their burrows with hooked wires, or by running a strong wire 

 into the hole, and thus crushing the caterpillar within to 



* For clescri23tions see paper on Zcuzcra ccsculi, by J. Curtis, in ' Gardener's 

 Chronicle.' Vol. for ISiG, p. 236 ; and Stephen's ' Illus. Brit. Ent.' Haustel- 

 lata, vol. i., p. 8, 



Y 



