The Pitli Moth. 69 



mentioned as Imvinj,' been particularly troubled with it: Worcester; 

 HeiX'fonlshire (Iloss) ; (lloucester ; (,'anil>ri<l;L;eshire (Wisliech) ; 

 Bournemonth ; Sussex (especially at I'ule^'ate) ; Surrey an<l Kent 

 genenilly. 



LiFE-mSTOUY. 



This moth belongs to the gi'oup of small moths known as Tindnce 

 and to the genus Lavcnui. Its wing expanse is a little less than 

 half an inch when fully expanded ; the front wings are almost 

 entirely black, but may be mottled with black, dark brown and 

 rusty brown ; the inner margin of the fore wings is white to l»eyond 

 the middle, where an inegular oblique white bar proceeds to the tip 

 of the wing, and two bmnches from this intersect the black apical 

 portion ; the posterior wings are grey and, like all Tincina-, have 

 long fringes ; the head is almost entirely white. It is subject to 

 much variation. Some specimens are almost black ; these Stainton 

 considers a distinct variety. The moth appears in June acconling 

 to Stainton, but all those that have been breil or observed apj^)eai'ed 

 in duly. Some i-eceived in 1808 hatched on July 5th, othere not 

 until the 21st. Difference of locality is sure to account for a 

 ditVcrence in the time of their appearance. 



The eggs are apparently laid on the leaves ; no definite obser\*n- 

 tions have been made, however. In July I found .several small 

 batches of eggs on an apple tree previously badly attacked by Pith 

 Moth, but I am not certain if they were tho.se of the Livema. They 

 occuiTed in small batches from one-fifth to one-fourth of an indi 

 long; in fomi they i*e.sembled those of the Bud Moth, viz., flat and 

 scale-like and almf»st transparent. One batch was composed of 

 twenty eggs overlapping one another like fish .scales. The whole 

 surface of the egg is covered with a well-definetl retictdate sculptur- 

 ing, not the outer part only, as in tho.se of the Bud Moth or C«HlIing 

 Moih. l\nthina variojana was seen near this tree, so that it may 

 l)e the eggs were of that insect. 



In any cxise the eggs, whatever they may Ite like, give rise to the 

 lana' the .same summer, and the young laiv;p feed first on the leaves. 

 As winter approaches, the larv;e, which are still (luite small, l)ore 

 ju.st under the bark of a twig or into the a})ex of a shoot and remain 

 there most of the winter. 1 Miring Januaiy and February the larva- 

 tunnel right into a young shf»ot an«l work u]> the pith (Fig. 8, K). 

 In this tunnel the caterpillar lives until June; its presence does 

 not stop the leaves and blossom from unfolding, although later they 

 flag, turn brown, and die right off (Fig. 7, !»)• Tliese dead shoots 



