1900] MOTTLED FRUIT-TREE TORTRIX MOTH. 78 



Mottled Fruit-tree Tortrix Moth. Penthina {= Antithesia) 

 vdriei/and, Hiibner. 



E.C.K. 



Penthina vakiegana, left-hand figure ; P. peuniana, right-hand figure. Both 

 figures magnified and natural size. 



The following observations refer to the small Tortrix Moth, Pen- 

 thina variegana, Hiibner (= P. cynnahatella, L.), a species of which the 

 caterpillars have long been known on the Continent as injurious to 

 the leaf- and flower-buds of various orchard trees early in the season. 

 Apple, Plum, Pear, and Cherry are especially mentioned as being 

 subject to attack; and in Stainton's 'Manual of Butterflies and 

 Moths,' vol. ii. p. 194, the moth is recorded "as abundant every- 

 where." * 



But until the past season no observations of its attacks had been 

 sent me, when, in the course of June, specimens of the infestation 

 were forwarded to me by Mr. E. Newstead, Curator of the Grosvenor 

 Museum, Chester, with the mention that he considered the attack very 

 local, but that for some years he had the species under observation, 

 and could testify to its destructiveness. The locality in which he 

 made his observations was within the city boundary of Chester, but he 

 had also received it from Oswestry (Shropshire), where also it was 

 reported to him as being destructive to fruit trees. 



The great resemblance of this moth to the nearly allied species, 

 P. pniniana, Hb., causes some difficulty in certain identification, more 

 especially when, as in the case of the P. varierjana = cynoshateUa speci- 

 mens sent me by Mr. Newstead, these are not altogether typical ; and 

 Mr. Newstead informed me that, after examination by various entomo- 

 logists, though they appeared to correspond best with pruniana, yet he 

 could not absolutely satisfy himself that they were of this species. 



Under these circumstances, as I felt personally by no means sure 

 of pruniana being the right identification, I laid the matter before 



* As the infestation appears to attack all of our common kinds of fruit trees 

 indiscriminately, and there has not this year been a special notice of " Orchard 

 Attacks," I have placed the Penthina observations, for various reasons, under the 

 above heading of " Plum." 



