68 INSECT PESTS 



about ^ inch across. They^feed throughout the season 

 and then go into the earth to spin a cocoon and emerge 

 therefrom the following June. The pea haulm should 

 be cleared away directly the crop is gathered and is best 

 burnt. (See Plate 15.) 



Perhaps a word or two may now be given about Let- 

 tuce. Provided the young plants have really escaped 

 from sparrows, there will be plenty of scope here also 

 for green and black aphis. But of course it is largely 

 our own fault if mischievous birds Hke the sparrow have 

 our seedlings or the plants are entirely spoilt by bhght. 



It is always the slovenly gardener who gets crowded 

 out with these troubles, but unfortunately he worries his 

 more dihgent neighbours with the overflow meetings of 

 his pests, a case for supervision and penahzing. 



Early dressings of soot should be apphed to lettuces 

 and renewed after wet weather. The Ladybird larva 

 should again be hailed as a friend. Hats off to the Lady- 

 bird in fact, even though she happens to be a gentleman, 

 for that is how things go in the insect world. Also the 

 larva of the pretty green, golden-eyed Lacewing Ely, 

 which is larger and dark purple in colour, is just as 

 useful in this respect. (See Figs. A and B, Plate 15.) 



Lettuces are subject also to depredations from the 

 Yellow Underwing Moth, whose caterpillar comes and 

 does its wretched work at night, hiding during the day 

 under a clod or chink in the wall. It is either green or brown 

 in colour and about 1| inches long, with dark streaks 

 on the back, changing in the autumn to a brown pupa 

 in the earth. The moth is beautiful enough, the 

 fore-wings, which measure nearly 2 inches across, 

 being of fine ochre with darker marblings, the hind or 

 under-wings bright yellow with the bold black margin. 

 For treatment see remarks to the Silver Y. The scien- 

 tific name is Tryphaena pronuba. (See Plate 3, Fig. 8, 

 and Plate 25.) 



The Careot Fly {Psila rosce) is a shining black or 



