Insects Injurious to the Apple. 



65 



[F. Edenden. 



57. LARVA OF PEPPER AND SALT MOTH. 



Greeu variety on rose. 



secondly, the strange mimetic habits of the larva prevent its being 

 seen (Fig. 58). 



Specimens with inquiries 

 have been sent me from several 

 places in Yorkshire, from most 

 of the home counties, and twice 

 from Somerset. 



LIFE-HISTORY, ETC. 

 The moth (Fig. 56) belongs 

 to the Geometridae, the Looper- 

 caterpillar family. In size it 

 varies from 1^ to nearly 2^ inches in wing expanse. The 

 general appearance is seen in the figure. The ground colour is 

 dull white, and all four wings are speckled with black, variations 

 occur such as black dots, traces of transverse black lines and a 

 more prominent black central spot. In a few rare cases true melanic 

 forms occur, the insect becoming almost black. They are found in 



late May and in June and July, 

 in gardens, fruit plantations and 

 \voods. 



The female, which is always 

 larger than the male, places her 

 eggs singly on the leaves of apple, 

 cherry, hawthorn, oak, elm, poplar 

 and birch. They now and again 

 hatch in mid June, but the 

 majority hatch in late July and 

 August. The caterpillars grow 

 but slowly ; the late hatched ones 

 I have found as late as the 30th 

 of October, but the majority we 

 notice in Kent in September. The 

 caterpillars when mature reach 

 over 2 inches in length, they are 

 very variable in colour, some are 

 green, others yellow, others dark 

 brown. They resemble a stick in 

 appearance. The colour of all 

 those I have found on apple and 

 cherry has been dark brown, those 

 on hop, called " Hop Cats " in Kent, are always green ; in all there 



[W. H. Hammond. 

 FIG. WS. LARVA OF PEPPER AND SALT MOTH. 



Brown variety on fruit trees. 



