182 Insect Pests. 



Life-History .\nd Habits. 



The moth appears in June, July and August. It varies from 

 ^ to nearly | inch in wing expanse. The female has reddish-brown 

 to reddish-ochreous fore wings, with reddish-brown markings as 

 follows : a basal patch forming an oblique streak, a reddish-brown 

 central spot reaching nearly to the anal angle, between it and the 

 central band is a pale yellow costal spot ; the male is of a greyish- 

 ochreous colour with brown and black markings. 



The eggs are laid on the twigs and hatch out early in spring. 

 The larvffi are somewhat variable, some are greyish-green, others 

 yellowish-green with slightly paler spots, from which arise delicate 

 pale hairs ; the head varies from pale brown to green, and is very 

 shiny. There are the normal number of legs, which are green, and 

 when mature the length is rather more than \ inch. They become 

 especially noticeable in April and May and continue into June. 

 They curl the leaves up into tubes, in which they live ; usually a 

 single leaf is made into the tube, but sometimes they spin two 

 together. They are very active when disturbed, wriggling back- 

 wards after the manner of all Tortrices and lower themselves from 

 the tubes by a strand of silk. Pupation takes place in the leaf 

 chambers. The eggs appear to hatch out irregularly, for we find 

 caterpillars of all sizes at the same time. 



On the vine these caterpillars eat the leaves and spin the fruit 

 clusters together and so ruin them. 



Treatment. 



It is always advisable to crush the little caterpillars in the tubes, 

 or, better still, jar the stems and branches and so cause them to leave 

 their shelter, when they may be taken off without any damage to 

 the tender leaves. 



Arsenate of lead may be used as soon as the bloom is set, and 

 in winter an occasional spraying with lime and salt or caustic wash 

 does some good. 



In the case of vines little harm is ever done in this country, and 

 it calls for no special treatment. Properly kept vineries, cleaned 

 down every season, are not likely to suffer from the Tortrix larvfe. 



