MOTHS. 



593 



Fig. 81. GRASS MOTH 

 (Crambusericellus). Nat. size. 



Fir,. 82.- 



GREEN OAK TORTRIX 



(Tortrix viridana). 



Nat. size. 



with long narrow fore- wings, and broad hind- wings. The best known repre- 

 sentatives of this group are the grass moths, belong- 

 ing to the genus Crambus (Fabr.), which have long 

 palpi, like a snout, yellowish white-streaked fore- 

 wings, and broad brown hind-wings. In some 

 species, as in G. ericellus (Hiibner), this white streak 

 is very conspicuous. In walking through long grass, 

 we often disturb these moths, which fly a short 

 distance and then settle again on a stalk, head 

 downwards, with their wings folded round, them 

 in almost a tubular form. 



The Tortrices, or bell moths, generally have broad, short fore-wings, cut off 

 straight at the ends, and rounded hind-wings. They sit with their fore-wings 

 flat, meeting over their backs, and covering the hind-wings, and in this 

 position somewhat resemble a bell in shape, whence their popular name. 

 There are about 300 British species of this group, some of which are very 

 destructive. One of the best known and most easily 

 recognised is the green oak tortrix, Tortrix viridana 

 (Linn.), which has green fore-wings with a yellow costa, 

 and brown hind-wings. If an oak-branch is struck or 

 shaken, we may often see a whole shower of these 

 conspicuous little green moths come fluttering down. 

 They measure rather less than an inch in expanse. 

 The larvae are also green, with a brown head ; they live 

 between rolled-up leaves of the oak, and if alarmed, 

 drop themselves a little way down by a thread, and climb back as soon as 

 the danger appears to be over. 



Other Tortrices feed, in the larva state, in flower-heads, and others, again, 

 in fruits. Different species of the genus Carpocapsa (Treitschke) feed in 

 acorns, beech-nuts, plums, etc. ; but perhaps the most injurious of all is 

 the codling moth, G. pomonella (Linn.), the pink larva of which feeds in 

 apples and pears. The moth is grey, with darker lines, and some coppery 

 markings towards the tip. It measures about three-quarters of an inch in 

 expanse. It has been introduced into all parts of the world, and is every- 

 where as destructive as in England. 



The Tinece are a very large group of small moths, numbering in Britain 

 alone upwards of 600 species. Very few exceed an inch in expanse, and the 

 greater number are much smaller. They are divided into a great number of 

 families, which differ very much in structure and habits, but they may 

 generally be easily recognised by their small size and long narrow wings, 

 with very long fringes. Some of them feed in cases or galleries, like many 

 species of Tinece (Linn.), to which genus the true clothes-moths, the corn-inoth, 

 and other highly destructive insects belong. Others feed on 

 fungi, like Tinea fulvimitrella (Sodoffsky), a purplish-brown 

 moth with white spots, which is a woodland insect, and 

 not found in houses. Some have very long antennae, like the 

 beautiful delicate bronzy moths of the genus Adela (Latr.), 

 which we find flying about bushes in spring. The small 

 ermine moths of the genus Hyponomeuta (Latr.) are white 

 or lead-coloured moths, with rows of black spots on the 

 fore- wings ; and their larvae web over and devour our 

 hedges and apple-trees, for they are gregarious, and often very destructive. 

 39 



Fig. 83. Tinea 



fulvimitt'ella. 



Nat. size. 



