120 PROTECTION OF WOODS AGAINST 



the branches ; they very often completely defoliate several 

 acres, chiefly attacking the mature trees. At the beginning 

 of June they roll up a leaf and pupate inside the cover thus 

 formed. Owing to the destruction of the foliage the tree may 

 form very little timber in the year of attack, and the forma- 

 tion of acorns may be prevented. Fortunately, the second 

 flush of leaves which appear in July are never attacked, and 

 the trees are therefore seldom killed. 



Unfortunately, no remedial measure is possible on a large 

 scale. The destruction of the pest must be left to birds, 

 especially starlings, and to unfavourable weather. 



a Moth. 



Fig. 5. Coleophora laricella, Hbn. 

 b Caterpillar. c Larval case. d Pupa. 



Larch-miner moth {Coleophora laricella). 



A very small moth, with a wing expansion of about f inch. 

 The wings are very narrow, shining ashy grey with very long 

 fringes. The caterpillar is dark reddish-brown, about \ inch 

 long. The moth flies in May and June, and lays its eggs 

 singly on 'larch needles. The caterpillars hatch in June and 

 grow till September, boring into young larch needles to about 

 half their length, so that the .upper ends turn yellow and 

 shrivel up, looking as if they had been touched by frost. In 

 September the caterpillar prepares a case out of the dry part 

 of a needle and hibernates in this, near the tips of the twigs, 

 or in cracks in the bark. It pupates in spring after enlarging 

 the case by attaching a second hollowed-ouU needle to the 

 first. Owing to its appearing in very large numbers year 



