GARDEN PESTS IN NEW ZEALAND 



called "woolly bears/' have narrow brick-red lines along the body, and 

 very often do some considerable damage to cinerarias; they also attack 

 weeds, such as ragwort and groundsel. 



The small globular eggs are laid in clusters on the leaves of the 

 food plant. At first they are pale green, later becoming dark yellow, 

 and just before the young caterpillars emerge from them they change 

 to a leaden colour. When fully fed, the caterpillar seeks a sheltered 

 place (beneath stones, under, bark, etc.), and there spins a loose cocoon, 

 in which it transforms to the chrysalis; the latter becomes blackish or 

 brownish in colour, with yellow markings. There are several generations 

 during the year. 



Cinerarias can be protected by spraying with lead arsenate, or, 

 better, by removing the caterpillars by hand and destroying them. 



CABBAGE TREE MOTH (Venusia verriculata). The foliage of the 

 cabbage tree is frequently holed on the surface and notched along the 

 edges this is the work of the cabbage tree moth caterpillars. The 

 history of the insect is as follows : The nocturnal moth measures about 

 an inch and a-half across the expanded wings, which are characteristic- 

 ally coloured by alternating chocolate-brown and yellowish-white lines 

 running from wing-tip to wing-tip across the body, so that the insect 

 merges into the general pattern and colour of a dead leaf, upon which 

 it usually rests. The eggs are green, and at first blend with the green 

 leaf, on which they are often laid in batches; when on dead leases they 

 become conspicuous. Later the eggs change colour to brown, and finally 

 red. The caterpillars congregate in the unopened foliage, and their 

 injury becomes apparent as the leaves open. The larvae transform to 

 chrysalids in silken cocoons, loosely spun in any suitable crevice upon 

 the trees. If it was necesary and practicable to protect ornamental 

 cabbage trees from the attacks of this insect, it could be done by 

 removing dead leaves from the crown and spraying with arsenate of lead 

 to which laundry soap had been added. 



BAG MOTH (CEceticus omnivorus). This is an insect that never 

 fails to attract attention on account of its cigar-shaped bags (Fig. 10. 8), 

 constructed by the larvae, and are to be found attached to a variety of 

 plants, upon the foliage of which the larvae feed, though they are not 

 serious pests. Each caterpillar spins its own tough silken bag, which 

 it never leaves, and to the outside of which it frequently attaches frag- 

 ments of leaves and twigs. Though the male is a normal moth, and 

 flies about (it is practically black, and densely haired, with translucent 

 smoky-black wings having an expanse of about an inch and a-quarter), 

 the female develops in an abnormal manner, and assumes a grub-like 

 form, never leaving the bag woven by its caterpillar. 



If it should be found necessary, as sometimes happens, the only 

 satisfactory way of controlling the bag-moth is to remove by hand and 

 destroy. 



Beetles. 



Unlike the caterpillars of moths, there are very ,few beetles in New 

 Zealand that are, important leaf -feeders. Though few in numbers, 

 however, the outstanding ones are very destructive. The beetles them- 

 selves, as well as their larvae, according to the species, may attack 



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