The Pith Moth. 71 



it' broken off will be found to contain the riih Moth rateqiilhu m- 

 pupa, u>5ually situated near the apex of a sIkhjI. 



The larva ((;) is dull reiUlish-brown with a deep brown hea<l and 

 first segment ; the other segments show more or less traces of pale 

 brown spots four in a row on the second antl third segments ami 

 four placed in a quadmngle on the remaining segments. The two 

 anterior segments have two latei-al spots and the remainder a single 

 lateral s^Xit. The ai)ex is deep brown. \Mien mature they reach one- 

 third of an inch in length and then piii)ate near the apex of the shoot 

 they have tunnelled. They reach their full-fed stage during the la.st 

 two weeks in June. If the ileail shoots are picked oft\ the moth can 

 be ea.sily bred. 



The pupa (d) is of an ochraceous hue ; the head and front of the 

 thorax and tip of the Inxly mahogany red. It is cylindrical in form 

 and alxnit one-fourth of an inch long. On the ventral surface of the 

 penultimate segment are two blunt processes separate and diverging 

 outwards, hairy at theii* apices (Fig. 7, c) ; the eyes are black and the 

 wing cases and legs long, the fonner pointed. This stage lasts from 

 two to three weeks, the moths emerging from the end of June into 

 Julv. The pupa* may sometimes lie seen projecting from the dead 

 shoot. Stainton says the larvie also occur in hawthorn hemes in 

 September and that the black variety only Ls found in apple shoots 

 in Februaiy and March. 



rilKVKNTIVK Mea.SURES. 



It is quite obvious that there can l>e no remedy for this pest, but 

 we can do much in the way of prevention l)y hantl-picking the dead 

 shoots before the moths emerge in June. This rati only be d<me, of 

 course, where small trees are attacked, and it usually hapi)ens that it 

 LS only on such trees that the attack takes place. 



Late spraying with Paris green wouhl probaldy prove lieneficial, 

 as it woidd kill the young larv;e, which seem to feed first of all on 

 the leaves. Of course, care must be taken in ivganl to the fruit. 

 Tlie trees .should l»e wa.shed not less than four weeks I >e fore the fruit is 

 gathered, but as .soon as it is harvested a heavy spraying may Ihj given. 



The time to spniy therefore must dejx^nd on the variety of apple 

 concerned. This is certainly worth <,'iving a fair trial, a-s U'vond 

 hand-picking we can do nothing to check the increase >pf tiiis ])ost. .so 

 noticealde during the past few years. 



