GREENHOUSE PESTS 115 



eat away the outer cuticle of the leaf, which withers in 

 consequence. At the end of the autumn, when foliage 

 gets scarce, they separate and proceed to establish them- 

 selves on docks, plantain, etc., as well as on cabbage and 

 other green crops. They are about 1 1 inches long when 

 full-grown, pale brown in colour, smooth, with a shiny 

 head. The pupal change takes place in the late autumn 

 beneath the ground. We are here concerned with the 

 caterpillar in its youth, and by far the best remedy is egg 

 search, but faihng that, spraying with carbolic soap 

 emulsion should induce the marauders to make tracks 

 for the jungle outside at an early stage in their career. 

 The moth measures If inches across the fore- wings, which 

 are deUcately marbled in grey and brown, the hind wings 

 being of a uniform grey colour. The body is stout, as 

 with most Noctuid moths, of which this is one, and the 

 antennae are long, slender and pointed. There is Uttle 

 to distinguish between the sexes in outward appearance. 

 The male may boast of the Uttle bit of fringe on his feelers, 

 but, Hke the moustache of the pre-war weak young man, 

 a magnifying glass is necessary in order to see it. 



The White Line Dart {A. tritici) is another common 

 moth which has been known to damage both leaf-buds 

 and leaves of the vine, in common with the Yellow Under- 

 wing Moth, which has been dealt with in Chapter III as a 

 pest of the Lettuce. Both these insects are usually root- 

 feeders, but vine-leaves are also eaten. The White Line 

 Dart measures IJ inches across the fore-wings, which are 

 dark brown with paler brown and white markings. The 

 hind wings are whitish at the base, where they join the 

 thorax, and have a smoke-coloured border. The cater- 

 pillar of this moth is smooth, mottled brown on top, the 

 sides being dingy green with a pale grey lateral stripe. 

 The moth appears in July and the eggs are laid 

 at the end of the month, larvse feeding from the 

 middle of August until the end of the season, 

 when they pupate in the soil. Egg search on the leaves 



