186 



Insect Pests. 



THE LARGE TORTOISESHELL BUTTERFLY. 



( Vanessa polychloros. Linn.) 



This beautiful butterfly is now and again sufficiently abundant 

 to do some harm to fruit trees. Owing to the gregarious habits of 

 the caterpillars the damage is especially noticeable, for large circum- 

 scribed areas are defoliated by the colonies. 



In France the cherry is often attacked by these caterpillars. In 

 this country it also attacks the pear, and I have once found a 



FIC. 144. THE LARGE TORTOISESHELL BUTTERFLY (Vanessa poli/chloruf) 

 AND CHRYSALIS. 



colony on the apple in Kent. Its chief food plant seems to be the elm, 

 but it also is found on aspen, sallow and osiers. Taschenberg (1) 

 and Ivaltenbach (2) also record it from apple in Germany. Ormerod (3) 

 refers to it as damaging cherry trees at Lymington in Hampshire. 

 In the neighbourhood of Wye I have often seen cherry trees, especially 

 sour cherries, stripped by the caterpillars, but not since 1903. 



