38 THE entomologist's kecord. 



The latter always works to the core and feeds upon the seeds, 

 making only a single channel straight from the core to one side of the 

 apple, and emerging through a rather large hole. 



The former, on the other hand, injures the fruit of the apple in a 

 very similar manner to that of the larva of T. potnondla, Walsh, The 

 caterpillars under "consideration apparently enter the fruit from the 

 side, and eat their way into the interior by tunnelling the fruit in all 

 directions. They sometimes reach the core and feed on the apple pips, 

 but more often keep to the more fleshy part of the fruit, which is thus 

 entirely spoilt, as the passages made by these insects soon turn brown 

 and start decay throughout the fruit. When fully grown the larva 

 emerges at the side of the fruit," lowering itself to the ground before 

 spinning up, and " makes a cocoon which in nature is probably placed 

 in a crevice of the bark in the same way as that of the Codling-moth." 



"The only sign that the fruit is infested at an early stage of its 

 attack is by the exudation of jiiice from the fruit at the point where 

 the insect entered, which generally dries up in the form of a little 

 bubble ; later, when the larva has left, the small hole in the side of 

 the fruit through which it escapes can be readily seen on a close 

 examination." " A point of entry is frequently marked by several 

 small tunnels opening over the surface of a comparatively large area 

 one-eighth of an inch to one-quarter of an inch in diameter, as if the 

 insect had fed there for some time. With the growth of the fruit, 

 this point becomes the centre of one of several — sometimes three or 

 four^ on a single apple — conspicuous depressions, by which the apples 

 are much distorted ; the blackened skin at the bottom of these depres- 

 sions is also frequently further discoloured by a white deposit," 

 consisting of the dried-up juice mentioned above. 



A specimen of the fully-developed insect, hatched from pupa, was 

 sent to Lord Walsingham, of Thetford, who determined it as An/y- 

 resthia conji((i('lla, Zell., the larvfe of which in Europe feed in the 

 fruits of the mountain-ash {Sorbns aucujmria), and sometimes also in 

 those of the bird-cherry (Pninus padus). 



This summer an apple pest, quite similar to that described above, 

 was noticed in Finland, the apples in almost every orchard having 

 been greatly injured by the tiny caterpillars, Avhich often completely 

 spoiled the apples for use. 



Although I have not yet succeeded in breeding the perfect insect, 

 owing to the circumstance that the imagines do not appear in the 

 autumn but the following spring, there can be little doubt that these 

 caterpillars are identical with those described by Mr. Fletcher. 



The little moth, Aniipri^thia conjuf/clla, is one of our commonest 

 Tineids, its geographical distribution ranging over the greater part of 

 Finland. Until now no injury to the apples has been recorded in 

 Finland, nor, as far as I am aware, in other parts of Europe. 



How are we to explain this sudden attack of an insect not pre- 

 viously known as an apple-fruit destroyer ? As stated above, the 

 caterpillars of Aq/yrcst/iia cvnjiuitlla ordinarily feed in the fruits of 

 SorhiiK anciiparia. In the years 1896 and 1897, especially in the latter 

 one, there was in Finland an unusual abundance of mountain-ash berries. 



1 I have found as many as 70 on a single apple. — E. K. 



