6i 



MANGOLDS. 



SURFACE CATERPILLARS.— Caterpillars of the Turnip or Dart 

 Moth, Aiirotls segetum, Ochseuheimer ; also of the Heart and 

 Dart Moth, Afjrotis e.vclamationis, Linn. 



Ageotis segetum. — Common Dart or Turnip Moth and caterpillar 



So surely as the year comes round, damage, more or less severe, is 

 caused to root crops by the large grubs, known as " Surface Cater- 

 pillars," of which one of the two commonest kinds is figured above, 

 and the other at p. 59, together with the moths, to which they respec- 

 tively turn. In some years these caterpillars are so constant in their 

 presence that they have been reported as observable during almost 

 every month. This was the case in 188-i, when observation of the 

 grubs as lively and active began in February, and still on the 13th of 

 December the same kind was reported (due details and specimens 

 accompanying) as ravaging in the neighbourhood of Selby, Yorks, to a 

 serious extent. 



Commonly, however, though their life in regular course extends 

 through the winter, they are so much acted on by ordinary amount of 

 cold, as to rest quietly without doing much harm at a depth beneath 

 the surface, where they are safe from weather influence. Commonly 

 also, although these caterpillars are destructive below ground to almost 

 any of our root crops on which they may chance to have established 

 themselves, they are so very especially injurious to Turnip bulbs, that 

 the names of Turnip grub and Turnip Moth are given to the infes- 

 tation. It is in connection with this crop, and under this name, that 

 this infestation has chiefly been noticed in the preceding numbers of 

 these Eeports ; but in the past season, although the grubs did not fail to 

 make their customary appearance at the roots of Turnips, Potatoes, &c., 

 yet it was to Mangold roots that they were so especially and unusually 

 injurious, that the attack was in many places not recognised as being 

 of the old established kinds of " Surface Caterpillars," and enquiry 



