114 



[1899 



POPLAR. 



Puss Moth. Dicranura vinuJa, Linn. ; Cerura vinula, Stepb. Cat. 



DiCBANURA VINULA. — Motb (male), and caterpillar (life-size). 



The caterpillars of the Puss Moth live on the leaves of Poplar, 

 Willow, and Sallow, and, though not uncommon, do not appear to 

 cause a serious amount of injury, excepting when the attack occurs to 

 trees which are still so young that the loss of the leafage makes an 

 important difference to their growth, or when, as in nursery plantations, 

 they are so very young that the gnawing of the caterpillars at the bark 

 a little above ground-level (in order to furnish themselves with suitable 

 material for their cocoons before turning to chrysalis state) results in 

 such injury to the weak stems that these break off, or the young plant 

 dies from the stem being " ringed." 



When full-grown (and extended) the caterpillar is more than two 

 and a half inches in length (without the tail appendages), but its more 

 favourite position is somewhat as figured, with the body resting on the 

 sucker-feet, the fore part raised, and the head drawn back squarely 

 into it, and, in case of the larva being alarmed or irritated, a long 

 crimson silk-like thread is protruded from each of the rough horn-like 

 processes appended to the tail segment. 



Notwithstanding its great size, the caterpillar is not very con- 

 spicuous, by reason of the greater part of its colouring (excepting in 

 its early life) being of some shade, or shades, of green, much resembling 



