LITTLE GRAIN MOTH OR WOLF MOTH. 13 



more than one hundred." After about fourteen days (it may be more 

 or less) the maggots hatch. These make their way into the coriv 

 graius, and there they feed, till, provision falling short, each grub 

 makes its way out again, spins another grain to the one from which it 

 came, and when the contents of this second grain have been devoured it 

 proceeds in like manner to another, so continuing until as many as 

 twenty or thirty grains have been emptied and spun together into a 

 mass, mixed with web and maggot-dirt, as shown at " 2" in figure 

 at p. 11. 



The caterpillars are sixteen-footed ; that is, have three pairs of 

 claw-feet, four pairs of sucker-feet beneath the body, and another pair 

 at the tail ; when full-grown they are rather under half an inch in 

 length ; the general colour pale ochrey ; the head horny and brownish 

 red, and on the back of the next segment there are dark transverse 

 marks interrupted in the middle. 



When these larvae or maggots are nearly full-grown, they have the 

 habit of not remaining in their feeding quarters, but, leaving the 

 inside of the grains, they pass to and fro, " run about in numbers," as 

 it is expressed, on the surface of the corn, spinning their threads until 

 the whole surface is covered with a thick whitish grey web. When 

 full-grown, which commonly is in August or September, they leave the 

 corn, and betake themselves to any convenient shelter in crannies in 

 the floor, or roof of the granaries, or chinks in the wall. There each 

 caterpillar spins a cocoon of web, or, if circumstances permit, of web 

 mixed with little bits of wood gnawed from its surroundings. Here 

 the larva remains unchanged during the cold weather ; it then assumes 

 the chrysalis state, from which the moth may come out, according to 

 circumstances, in March, April, or May. 



The above gives just a general sketch of the ordinarily recorded 

 life of this infestation in granaries, without reference to possibilities of 

 second broods, or of effects of variations of temperature ; and the 

 recorded remedies turn, to a great degree, on the obvious points of 

 preventing, as far as possible, presence of sheltering places for the 

 larval winter rest, by plastering or filling up all nooks in walls and 

 floors, &c., where cocoons could be spun, and similar measures. Also 

 on careful cleaning, whitewashing, scalding, &c., where granaries are, 

 or may be, infested, before putting in new corn. And to these I would 

 add a note, from my own observation, of the effectiveness, in cases of 

 this kind, where steam power is at hand, of turning on a jet of scalding 

 steam or scalding water by a hose from the engine. Where this can 

 be done the effect in destroying maggot or insect presence is excellent. 

 More elaborate operations, as destroying maggots in the corn itself by 

 applying heat which will not injure the corn for use, though destroying 

 its power of germination, — or, on the other hand, of checking maggot 



