"pebble prominent" moth. 14S 



insects, with lighter markings on the upper wings, which are deflexed, 

 a quarter of an inch in length, or thereabouts, and with the power 

 of taking tremendous leaps. From this habit, and their somewhat 

 frog-like shape (in miniature) they gain their common name of "Frog- 

 hoppers." The not pleasing name of " Spittle Insects " is given from 

 their habit of living in their early stages in a little mass of frothy-like 

 moisture, an excrementitious shelter for themselves, supplied by the 

 great quantity of fluid which they draw from the shoots (sometimes 

 exceedingly to the injury of the growth) with their suckers. In their 

 early stages they are of the same shape as when they become perfect 

 " Froghoppers," but without wings, and also of a pale whitish or 

 greenish colour. Scientifically they are Cercopids ; specifically the 

 Aphrophora spumaria. Germ., the Cercopis spumaria, L. They are 

 especially injurious to Willows, In garden treatment, I have found 

 heartily applied drenchings of water very useful for getting rid of 

 them. 



Pebble Prominent" Moth. Notoxlonfa ziczac, L. 



NoTODONTA zrczAC. — Moth and caterpillar, life size. 



In the course of the communications sent me by Miss Sturge, from 

 the Connemara Basket Industry, Letterfrack, Co. Galway, I found, 

 early in September, that, in addition to the moth infestation mentioned 

 in the preceding pages, and various other Willow pests that were domg 

 damage, the curiously shaped caterpillar of the Notodonta ziczac moth 

 (figured above), so-called from the peculiar zigzag position which it 

 sometimes assumes, was also present. 



The slight descriptions which are commonly given of the colours 

 of the larva are very little help, and I had no opportunity of observa- 

 tion until the larva was an inch and a half long, therefore I give a few 

 notes, more particularly of the early stages, from the observations of 

 the late Rev. John Hellins, published in • Larvae of British Butterflies 

 and Moths,' by the late W. Buckler, Vol. II., pp. 152, 153 (Eay Society). 



The egg is stated there to be what is called button-shaped, flat 

 below ; one twenty-fifth of an inch across ; shell finely granulated • 

 colour greenish white, afterwards white. Larva at first with a large 

 black head, yellow body, and small hump on twelfth segment, otherwise 



h 



