360 The Rose Garden. 



(Fig. 75) is also handsomely and conspicuously marked, and where it appears (and it is by no 

 means uncommon) is one of the most destructive attackers of the Rose. Like the caterpillars 

 of the "Lackey" moth, those of the present species live and feed gregariously, and fully 

 rival, if indeed they do not excel, the former in their ravages. A full grown caterpillar 

 will measure from two to three inches in length, and is stout in proportion. It is slightly 

 hairy ; the ground colour of the body is bright yellow, marked plentifully both longitudinally 

 and transversely with black. For the purpose of passing into the pupa state it sometimes 

 enters the earth, but more frequently undergoes its metamorphosis on the ground in some 

 secure situation without any covering or case whatever, changing to a dark brown chrysalis. 

 The moth appears in July, the caterpillar in the spring and early summer. 



The next insect that claims attention (the Gothic Moth Ncenia typica) is not a rose feeder 

 only, but turns its attention to many plants, fruit trees being especially obnoxious to its 

 attacks. But as a case has come under our notice where it was certainly an aggressor, we 

 have no hesitation in including it amongst the enemies of the Rose. The case in question was 

 that of a large specimen Rose in a pot which was grown in a greenhouse for early flowering. 

 The leaves of this plant were observed daily to show fresh signs of depredation upon them, 

 and such was the amount of green food abstracted that it was evident that some insect of 

 size was at work. The leaves and plant carefully searched furnished no culprit, and it was 

 not until some six or eight days after the mischief was first noticed that the caterpillar was 

 discovered at dawn one April morning on a piece of bast in the neighbourhood of the plant. 

 This was accounted for by the habit of this species in the larval state. It feeds during the 

 night, and eludes all searching rays of daylight by hiding under dead leaves, stones, or any 

 rubbish in the neighbourhood of its food plant. When full grown it measures about two and 

 a quarter inches in length. The prevailing colour is pale brown, with a broad whitish gray 

 band along each side. This band is edged with two thin distinct wavy lines, one white and 

 the other black. The body is mottled, with two short oblique pale lines on each side of every 

 segment excepting the second, third, fourth, and fifth, these four having a small black spot 

 on each side, which is also present on the other segments, but not so distinct. The head 

 is shining, of the same colour as the body, as are also the legs. The full fed caterpillar 

 descends into the ground to change to a chrysalis. The moth, although dull in colour, is 

 handsome. It is smoky gray, with the upper wings distinctly marked with white. The 

 hind wings are without these markings. The full expanse of the upper wings is from one 

 and a quarter to one and three-quarter inches. The moth appears in June. The young 

 caterpillars are hatched in the autumn, passing the winter in a dormant state, and reawaken- 

 ing to activity in the spring. It is in the latter season only that they are likely to do any 

 harm to Roses. 



Before leaving the larger species of moths, there are three which we think should be 

 mentioned, although their occurrence is not of such frequency as to lead us to anticipate any 

 serious damage. The first is the "Vapour Moth" (Orggia antiqua), a very common species, 

 but not generally met with on the Rose. The other two are the nearly allied geometers, 

 Anticlea badiata and derivata. The larva of the first of these we have found feeding on the 

 Dog Rose (Rosa canina), and the second is said to feed on the same plant. 



The caterpillars of the moths we are now about to consider are much smaller than those 

 of the preceding species, but are exceedingly destructive to Roses. Many of them, indeed, 

 are so small as often to escape detection, and therefore destruction. These are generally 

 intended when we hear the comprehensive soubriquet of "grub" or "maggot." The first 

 species is Tortrix pyrastrana. The female moth measures nearly an inch in the full expanse 

 of its upper wings, the male scarcely three-quarters of an inch. Their colour is pale brown, 

 delicately reticulated with lines of a darker colour. At the jointure of the wings with the 



