LAPPET MOTH. 



Early in the month of May in 1893, information was sent me from 

 Hereford, by Messrs. Cranston, of the enormous caterpillars of the 

 Lappet Moth (one of which is figured life size at p. 4) having been 

 found present on some of the Apple trees on their grounds at King's 

 Acre, and though not found in any considerable quantity, yet where 

 they were present every leaf had been devoured. Some specimens of 

 the attacked branches were sent accompanying (one of which is figured 

 at p. 4) to show the manner in which a complete clearance of the 

 leaves down to the very stumps of the footstalks had been effected. 



The grubs being so large, it was hoped that the attention devoted 

 to the attack might have prevented any recurrence of the trouble ; 

 this, however, has not proved to be the case, and on May 10th of the 

 past season I was again favoured by a communication on the subject 

 froip Mr. John Cranston as follows : — " ... I am sending you by this 

 post some of the Lappet Moth caterpillars ; the grubs vary much in 

 size, but there are none so large as those I sent you last year, and 

 which you have illustrated in your publication. We find the cater- 

 pillars feeding upon the young maiden Apple trees, and very few upon 

 the older trees. As they are found only in small quantities here and 

 there, the simplest and least expensive mode of destroying them is by 

 hand-picking them. I have no doubt that spraying the trees with Paris- 

 green would cause them to fall off, but it is doubtful if this would kill 

 them."— (J. C.) 



Accompanying the letter, more than a dozen of the "Lappet" 

 caterpillars were sent, ranging from an inch and a quarter to two 

 inches and a quarter in length, but mostly of the larger size, and of a 

 greyish ground colour. Two or three were of the smaller size, and 

 these of a rich brown ground colour. These caterpillars, when full- 

 grown, are as much as four or even five inches in length (the specimen 

 sent me last year was more than four inches long), and are of a 

 variable tint, sometimes of a grey, or sometimes of a brownish, ground 

 colour, and the markings also variable, sometimes occurring as a row 

 of somewhat V-shaped marks, sometimes almost wholly absent. But 

 amongst the characteristic markings are two deep blue or purple, 

 lustrous, velvety, transverse bands, so shiny that, in German, they 

 are known as " the mirrors " (Spiegel). These are placed across the 

 back, on the segments next the head, and are very noticeable when the 

 caterpillar is moving, but scarcely at all when it is at rest. Another 

 very remarkable characteristic of the caterpillar is that along each 

 side, and just above the feet, is a row of fleshy warts or appendages 

 with long grey hairs. To these the name of " lappets " has been 

 given, whence the name of Lappet Moth, These "lappets" show 

 clearly on the segments not furnished with feet, or sucker-feet ; but 

 they are so often not clearly represented (especially above the sucker- 



