57 



The great winter moth or the mottled umber moth, Hibernia 

 defoliaria, is about twice the size of the winter moth. 



The male has pale brown fore wings, each with two dark bands, 

 the hind wings being paler, with a brown spot near the middle. 

 The wings of the female are abortive, the brown body having two 

 dark spots on each segment ; whilst the male's antennae are combed, 

 the female's are simple. 



The eggs of the winter moth are very small, cylindrical, of a light 

 green colour, changing to red. They are placed in small groups 

 usually at the bases of buds or on pruned surfaces, and fastened 

 thereto with a glutinous substance. From one hundred and fifty to 

 two hundred are laid by one female. The great winter moth lays 

 larger, light brown, long eggs and as many as four hundred, being 

 placed in lines or small groups. 



The larvae hatch out about the middle of March and just before 

 the buds burst. 



The winter moth larvae are at first grey, with dark heads. Later 

 they become greenish, with white stripes and brown heads, being 

 when adult three-quarters of an inch long. They have six legs and 

 two pairs of prolegs, one pair of these being at the hind part of the 

 body. The larvae eat buds, leaves, blossoms, and fruit. When they 

 are fully fed in June, they let themselves down to the ground by 

 means of silken threads, and bury themselves. 



The moths are seen from early in October until January. 



The larva of the great winter moth is brown, with a wavy dark 

 stripe on each side of the body, and being one and a quarter inch 

 in length. They both feed on the same trees. 



Insecticides. Grease banding is resorted to, as the female 

 cannot fly. 



Use grease-proof paper and smear it well with cart grease, tie these, 

 six to eight inches wide, eighteen inches up the trunk, and first tie 

 at the bottom so that you can double the bands round, forming an 

 impassable road up the stem. 



Put these bands round the first week in October, and renew the 

 grease as it gets washed off, and in February take the bands off and 

 burn them as they will contain numerous females. 



This, however, is insufficient, so spray between the middle of March 

 and the middle of April with i Ib. of Paris green paste to 200 gallons 

 of water.* 



3. LACKEY MOTH, Bombyx OR Clisiocampa ncustria. 

 ORDER LEPIDOPTERA. 



This insect also attacks the pear and cherry, and such forest trees 

 as the oak and elm. 



The moths vary very much in colour ; the upper wings are usually 

 brown, tinged with red or yellow, crossed by a darker band with pale 

 bars ; the fringes along the hind margin are alternately pale and dark. 

 * Use lead arseniate. .F J. C. 



