Insects Injurious to the Apple. 



101 



The distribution is very wide in England, specimens having been 

 reported from Devonshire up to Yorkshire. I believe it occurs in 

 Scotland, and Stainton records it from Dublin. 



It is now, just as mentioned by Stainton in 1855, very common 

 in the London district. In 1887 it was quite harmful at Kingston- 

 on-Thames. 



LlFE-HlSTORY AND HABITS. 



The moth appears towards the end of May. The female places 

 her eggs on the underside of the leaves, in most cases close to the 

 mid rib, from which area the mine first commences. Now and again 

 it is placed on other parts of the leaf. 



In colour, the moth has almost black anterior wings, with a 

 bright pale (almost white) band across each 011 the apical half; the 



FIG. 87. Nepticula malella. 



[Horace Knight. 



hind wings are grey and also the fringes. The thorax is dark, and the 

 abdomen grey. 



In length it reaches 4 to 5 mm. 



The larval mine is at first very thin, and gradually increases in 

 size, widening somewhat as the " miner " grows ; suddenly it swells out 

 into a more blister-like area of pale hue, the exact track of the larva 

 being marked by a dark line of " frass." The larva is pale amber- 

 yellow, with a dark central line, sometimes brown, at others with a 

 red tinge ; the head is brown, and the body slightly hairy. When 

 full fed it reaches about 4 mm., and then eats its way out of the 

 leaves from the upper surface. 



The free larva? seek shelter at the base of the leaves, in any 

 crevice, or even fall on to the ground, and then spin oblong oval 

 cocoons of dull yellowish silk. 



The second brood of moths appear in early August, but some 



