264 



PVRALID^.- 



-INSECTS.- 



-Geometrid.e. 



&c. Some species are, however, very local, as Ayrotis 

 lanigera from the Isle of Wight, N. Ashworthii from 



Fig, 162. 



Cases of larva of Oiketicus nigricans. 



North Wales, and others wc have no space to enu- 

 merate. 



Family- PYRALID^. 



An extensive familj', if we include tlie exotic species, 



but of very moderate extent 



f'K-i«- in this country. Fig. 1G4 



sliows a remarkable species 



(Sarrothrijms C7-ibra!is). It 



r/ has been named " Four-foot 



-/ moth" from its curiously 



hairy fore legs, a magnified 



figure of which is given 



beneath the moth. 



A species of this family 

 indigenous to Jamaica (^Dia- 

 treca sacchari) is very in- 

 iirious to the sugar cane. 

 It is a pale -yellow dotted 

 moth. Its larva destroys 

 whole acres of cane in dry 

 iSarrotbripus criijraiis. seasons, by boHng into the 

 stems of the canes. 



Family— TORTRICIDiE. 



So called from the habit the caterpillars have of 

 twisting up leaves so as to conceal themselves. On 

 Plate 10, fig. 10, a species is figured {Earls chlorana). 

 There are nearly three hundred species in this country. 

 They are usually small dull-coloured moths, and when 

 at rest somewhat resemble a bell in shape. A species 

 of this family {Carpocaxisa pomonetta), the Apple moth, 



is one of the most destructive enemies to the apple 

 crop. The eggs are laid in the newly-formed fruit, 

 witliin which the larva feeds, and all that are tlius 

 attacked fall prematurely to the ground. Fig. 1C5 



Carpocapsa pomonella. 



represents, a, the larva of Carpocapsa p>omonella ; b, 

 the pupa ; c, the perfect insect ; (/, the section of an 

 apple, showing the track by whicli the larva escapes 

 when full fed, previous to burying itself in the ground 

 to undergo its subsequent changes. The plum, apricot, 

 and other fruit trees, sufl'er from the attacks (jf species 

 belonging to this family. 



Family— GEOMETRID^. 



This family is equally extensive with the Noduidce, 

 but in this country probably not quite so numerous. 

 Tlie caterpillars are called loopers, or geometricians^ 

 whence the family name. They are rather slender- 

 bodied, but their wings are ample. Their larvse have 

 only ten legs. Their mode of progression is very 

 peculiar ; having no legs in the middle of the body, 

 they attach themselves firmly witli their fore legs, and 

 then bring up their hind legs close to them, thus 

 curving or looping the body in the form of the Greek 

 letter n. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of various 

 plants, and, when disturbed, drop down swinging by 

 a thread, up which, when their alarm is past, they 

 remount. In some few species the females are quite, 

 or nearly destitute of wings, and would never be taken 

 for moths by non-entomological persons. Some species 

 do great damage to fruit trees ; others to forest timber, 

 as Bupalus piniarius to pine trees. 



