36 



Insect Pests. 



[A. V. D. Rintoul. 



FIG. -2-2. FIGl'KE-OF-S MOTHS. 

 Male an.l female. 



of their sudden disappearance after an abnormal number have appeared, 

 as in 1887, is undoubtedly the fact that a heavy storm or wind knocks 



them off the trees, and then many are 

 destroyed. This was pointed out by 

 Taschenberg many years ago. 



LIFE-HISTORY, HABITS, ETC. 

 The moth (Fig. 22) appears in 

 September and October, but a few 

 may hatch as early as the 20th of 

 August, and some have been taken 

 as late as the 28th of November. 

 Miss Ormerod (3) records them as 

 being taken at Toddington on the 

 18th of November. In size the moth 

 varies very considerably; the male 

 may be less than 1 inch in expanse 

 of wings, the female may be over 

 1^ inch. The fore wings are of 



various shades of greyish-brown .and brown with pale ring-like 



spots, one on each wing, being of the form of the figure 8; in some 



specimens a faint r< >sy tinge is notice- 

 able ; the hind wings are greyish- 

 brown with darker ray-like lines 



and a dark wedge-shaped patch at 



the hinder angle. 



It is common and widely spread 



all over Britain, and may be found 



flying at dusk and when dark in 



orchards and gardens and along 



hedgerows. 



The female lays her eggs singly 



and usually widely apart, but now 



and then one finds them in groups 



of five up to ten, and according to 



Ormerod (1) in groups of six or 



eight. They are placed anywhere 



on the shoots and spurs of the fruit 



trees and are easily seen owing to 



their grey or greyish-brown hue ; 



they are round in form, flattened below and with radiating ribs. 



A> described by Buckler (2), they are curiously covered with brown 



{F. Edenden. 



3. EGGS OF FIGURE-OF-8 MOTH. 

 (Diloba cceruleocephala.) 

 (Greatly enlarged.) 



