214 



THE PROTECTION OF WOODLANDS. 



Fig. 50. 



with 3 to 5 whitish longitudinal stripes, and a yellow or orange stripe on 

 each side just above the spiracles and the legs. The two first abdominal 

 legs being malformed, it moves somewhat like a span-worm, and spins 

 gossamer threads freely while young. Pupa J to in. long, first greenish, 

 then dark-brown, with two hooked processes at tail-end. Life-history. 

 The moth flies in April, pairing at night, and laying, high up in the trees, 

 about 50 round green eggs, mostly singly, on the needles of Pine and 

 Spruce in pole-woods 20 to 40 years old. Caterpillars hatch out in May, 

 and gnaw the sides of needles, but as they grow stronger, they eat them 

 right down to the sheath. About the end of July they descend to pupate 

 under moss, dead foliage, &c., or on the ground, throughout the whole 

 area attacked, though they are not migratory. 

 They hibernate as pupse and emerge as moths 

 in spring, the long pupal rest extending over 

 about eight months. Prevention and Exter- 

 mination. In young pole-woods infested, cater- 

 pillars can easily be shaken down ; and they can 

 also often be collected and killed when they 

 come down to pupate, as they frequently 

 cluster together at the foot of the tree before 

 hibernating as pupse. 



0. SPAN-WORM MOTHS (Geometridce). 

 * The Winter moth, Cheimatobia brumata 

 (Fig. 50), attacks most broad-leaved trees, but 

 especially Oak, Elm, Hornbeam, and Lime. 



The cJ has a wing-span of 1 to 1 in., reddish- 

 or yellowish -grey or grey-brown fore-wings with 

 dark wavy transverse lines, and lighter hind- 

 wings marked with a faint dark stripe ; ? about 

 ^ in. long, grey-brown with white scales, long 



antennae and legs, and only abortive rudimentary wings, so that it cannot 

 fly. The 10-footed caterpillar feeds on foliage till full-grown. Grey at 

 first, after first moult yellowish-green with green head and pale dorsal 

 stripe, and when full-grown (1 in. long) is green with dark dorsal stripe, 

 three narrow white lines along each side, and brown head. Pupa light- 

 brown, with two hook-like processes at tail-end in a very loose flimsy 

 cocoon. 



From October till December (hence " winter - moth ") 6 flits about 

 towards dusk in search of ? , crawling up and down the trunks of trees, 

 and the ? lays about 250 eggs (greenish at first, then reddish), singly or 

 in small clusters, on buds, leaf-scars, and twig-points in the crowns of 

 broad-leaved trees. Caterpillars hatch out in April and May, and feed on 

 leaf- and flowering-buds before attacking the foliage, which they twist 



Winter Moth (natural 

 size). 



A. Male. B. Female. 

 c. Caterpillar, 



