GUM-TREE MOTH. 119 



CHAPTEE CXXVIII. 



GUM-TREE MOTH. 

 (Roeselia lugens, Walker.) 

 Order : Lepidoptera. Family : Arctiidce. 



This moth is of a small brownish-grey colour, and is of 

 the size of Figs. IV. and V. of our plate. The eggs are 

 deposited on the leaves of the gum trees, especially those 

 growing in plantations. When hatched, the young larvae 

 begin to feed, and, as they increase in size, they do an 

 almost incredible amount of damage to the trees them- 

 selves. Fig. I. shows the manner in which the epidermis 

 or outer covering of the leaves is eaten, and if the grubs be 

 not killed a few strippings will usually complete the 

 destruction of at least the upper portions of the tree 

 attacked. This pest is particularly numerous in the 

 plantations near Sunbury and elsewhere, and is perhaps 

 the worst of all the smaller insect pests of our gum trees. 

 It was formerly known by the name of Nola lugens, and is 

 an old enemy of the gum trees. In some parts of the 

 State, the tops of the Eucalypts appear from a distance as 

 though a fire had passed through them. 



The larvae of the Cup Moth are also very destructive in 

 this respect. Some new facts regarding the Cup Moth 

 have lately been investigated by my Branch. It was 

 found that the water supply of an important country 

 district was becoming black, and unfit for use. On 

 investigating the matter, it was found that on the foliage 

 of the Eucalypts growing near and hanging over the race 

 were hundreds of grubs of the Cup Moth, whose excreta 

 had badly fouled the water. The cause was previously 

 ascribed to the dredging up-stream. Mr. French, jun., 



