70 CURRANT. 



Currant-shoot and Fruit Moth. IncurvaHa capitella, Fab. 



Incurvaria capitella. 

 Moth, magnified and nat. size from life ; caterpillar, magnified, after Stainton. 



In 1891, attention was drawn to the miscliief caused by this infes- 

 tation to the young shoots of the Currant. In the past season the 

 careful observations of Dr. Chapman, of Hereford, have shown that the 

 attack is also injurious to the Currant fruit, consequent on the Moth 

 (figured above) depositing her eggs in the Currants whilst still very 

 young. Therefore joining the observations of the two past seasons 

 together, we find that the chief points of the history of the attack may 

 be shortly given as follows. 



The moth lays her eggs within the young fruit, and there the larvae 

 or caterpillars feed awhile, their presence being indicated by a prema- 

 ture appearance of ripening. After a time they creep out of the fruit, 

 and each larva spins a cocoon on the twigs, in which it passes the 

 winter. In the following spring the caterpillar (as yet only partly 

 grown) comes out, and boring into the shoots of the Eed Currant in 

 the way previously described (in 1891), destroys the shoot. It then 

 goes into the chrysalis state, from which, in Dr. Chapman's obser- 

 vations, he found moths emerge in time to insert their eggs in the 

 young fruit at dates of from the 17th to the 20th of May. 



From these characteristics the name of Currant-shoot and Fruit 

 Moth, might be proposed as being at least descriptive, until a more 

 convenient form may be thought of. 



The first appearance in the year of this pest (and the only one in 

 which up to the past season we have known this Incurvaria caterpillar 

 as the cause of mischief) is to the young buds, or rather shoots, early 

 in the season. It has been thus noted by various writers: — "The 

 larva is very injurious, eating the pith of the young shoots, and betrays 

 its presence by the withering of the young leaves ; when quite young 

 it is dark red, but when full-fed it is greenish white." * Also, " The 



* Stainton's ' Tineina,' ji. 42. 



