107 



table food.* But, as Harris has well observed in the passage referred 

 to in the note, there are certain species that feed in the larva state on 

 our woollens and furs, and even on leather, meat and lard — all five 

 of which are, not vegetable, but aniuuil substances; and it is well 

 known that certain other species infest in the larva state collections of 

 dried insects. Moreover, I have long been inclined to suspect, that 

 the larvae of particular moths feed habitually, not only on dead ani- 

 mal substances, as in the instances quoted above, but even on the liv- 

 ing bodies of other insects. The Rev. Mr. Green, of England, in his 

 admirable little work on Pupa-digging, has stated some facts, whicli 

 certainly seem to prove that there are Cannibal Caterpillars, as well 

 as Cannibal Beetles and Cannibal Flies. For he says that the larvae 

 of a small moth had swarmed for years in his breeding-cages, in spite 

 of all that he could do, devouring by wholesale the pupte, from which 

 he was endeavoring to rear various kinds of moths.f 



If, therefore, we allow that this Plum Moth of mine is a Guest 

 in the case of the two galls, which, as I have shown, it inhabits, it 

 would seem to be most probable that it is also a Guest whenever it 

 inhabits the Black-knot and the Plum. In other words, it does not 

 attack sound Black-knot and sound Plums, but only such as have been 

 already preyed on and bored by the Curculio, and where consequently 

 an opening has already been made for its operations. Practically, this 

 question is of considerable importance. For, if the Plum Moth does 

 really attack perfectly sound plums, then it is as much to be dreaded 

 as the Curculio. If, on the contrary, it only gathers up the crumb? 

 that fall from the table of the Curculio, then it is absolutely harmless. 

 For no fruit-grower would give one cent for a whole orchard of plums, 

 every one of which was stung by the Curculio. The general subject 

 of Guest-flies and Guest-moths, has been already treated of at some 

 considerable length. (Above, pp.19 — 20. 



I have bred another species of small moth, very closely allied to 

 the Plum Moth, from Black-knot ; and Harris long ago noticed Lepi- 



*Lat.reille Gen. Crustac. Insect. IV. p. 185; Wallace Malayan Papilion. 

 in Transact. Linn. Soc. XXV. p. 2. 



•j- Since the above was written T have received the following valuable 

 information from H. T. Stainton, the distinguished English Lepidopterist : 

 "Yon are quite right in saying that several lepidopterous larvae are carniv- 

 orous. Amongst the Noctuce, Scopelesoma satellitia and Cosmia trapezina, 

 and amongst the Geometridce, Vrocallis elinguaria are larvae to be carefully 

 avoided by those intent on rearing other larvae. The larva of (Ecophora 

 pseudosprclella is the mortal foe to the choice pupae of the collector, and 

 Dipl'jdonia marginepunctella is evidently addicted to carnivorous appetites, 

 and adorns his case with the mutilated bodies of his victims." 



