120 POTATO, 



most slender and delicate epidermis, which always remains intact, 

 and then changes to an elongate, cylindrical, smooth, dark brown 

 chrysalis." — (E. N.) 



The moth measures about an inch and a half in the spread of the 

 fore wings, which are of an orange yellow, variously marked with rich 

 brown or purplish. Near the base of the wing is a reddish brown bar, 

 and succeeding this are three markings, known as the stigwata, thus 

 described : — " The inner one small, round, and pale yellowish buff; the 

 outer one larger and ear-shaped, mottled with red scales within ; the 

 supplemental one semi-oval, all being surrounded with slender reddish 

 brown lines." — (J. 0. W.) Nearer the tip of the wing is a purplish 

 bar, followed by a much waved narrow stripe formed of small fulvous 

 arch-like markings. The great variety of marking on the wings makes 

 it almost impossible to describe them intelligibly, but the figure gives 

 a fair idea, with the explanation that the lighter colours are mainly 

 yellow, and the darker markings of some shade of reddish brown or 

 purple. The hind wings are pale brown or somewhat ochrey, with a 

 stripe across near the middle. 



This infestation, though the moth is now a very common one in 

 this country, is very rarely reported as injurious to Potatoes, and in 

 the attack last year at Daleally it was only to a small quantity of the 

 stems (or " shaws " to use the local word) on one side of one garden. 

 Still the caterpillar, if it does get possession, is so certain to ruin the 

 attacked stem that it is as well not to let its workings pass unnoticed. 



The presence of the grub may be known by the fading of the 

 tunnelled stem, and then without delay each of the stems should be 

 cleared, and the caterpillar, if the attack is only on a small scale, 

 looked for and destroyed. This is desirable, as the grub may very 

 likely be low down in the stem, or may, as found by Mr. Taylor in his 

 examinations, have gone down from the stem tunnel into a tuber. But 

 if the destroyed stems and their contents are got rid of before the time 

 of appearance of the moth from the chrysalids, there will be little fear 

 of recurrence of the trouble. 



