TPE APPLE LEAF MIXER. 39 



of birds. Starlings are particularly fond of them. Handpicking the 

 larvae is still more effective. I have entirely cleared them out of my 

 own garden in this way. 



Fresh gas lime worked into the land in autumn has been tried 

 with some amount of success. 



Apterite proved an admirable remedy, destroying this and other 

 ground larvae without in any way damaging the plants. 



THE APPLE LEAF MINER. 



Lyonetia clerckella (Linn.). 



Two cases of serious damage to apple trees by the larvae of this 

 small Tineid moth have been reported on. The leaves on the trees 

 were mined in all directions ; and three or four larvae in each leaf were 

 not at all uncommon. As a result, most of the leaves fell at the end of 

 July and early in August. 



I know of only one record of this species damaging to any appre- 

 ciable extent the foliage of fruit trees ; that is one mentioned by Mr. 

 Fred. V. Theobald (l1 as occurring in Huntingdonshire. 



The life-history is described by the same author and the following 

 abbreviated account is taken from his description. 



The female, as a rule, deposits a single egg on each apple or cherry 

 leaf. From this the larva hatches and bores into the leaf, feeds upon 

 the soft tissue, and forms a sinuous tunnel, which gradually enlarges 

 as the larva increases in size. The larva varies in colour from pale to 

 deep apple green. The period of larval life varies ; some were mature 

 in four weeks after the tunnels were first noticed ; others not until five 

 weeks. 



When full fed, the larvae eat their way out of the tunnel and crawl 

 upon the leaf, forming a cocoon on the upper, or more generally, lower 

 side of the leaf. The pupal stage lasts from ten to twenty days. Three 

 or four broods occur in a year. During the winter months the moths 

 hibernate in crevices, under rubbish, etc. 



PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL MEASURES. 



In the two cases referred to above, hand-picking and burning the 

 leaves proved successful. 



THE APPLE ERMINE MOTH. 



Hyponomenta malinella, Zell. 



Thanks to the combined action of numerous fruit growers, and to 

 many correspondents possessing only a few apple trees in their kitchen 

 gardens, this pest has been considerably reduced in the Midland coun- 

 ties. 



(i.) Second Rpt. Econ. Zool., 1904, p. 37. 



