INSECTS. 147 



attacked plants begin to rot internally. The full- 

 grown caterpillars creep out and become pupa in the 

 soU. Remedy : Collecting the caterpillars while they 

 are still on the outer leaves. 



The Vegetable or Lettuce Moth {Mamestra oleracea). 



Moth: f of an inch long; span of wings about 

 1| of an inch. Fore wings dark rusty brown, darker 

 on the nerves, dusted with white. Hind wings 

 reddish white. Head and thorax like the fore wings ; 

 abdomen like the hind wings. Caterpillar : Up to If 

 inch ; dirty greenish grey, or olive green, irregularly 

 bestrewn with dirty white dots. The caterpillars feed 

 on cabbages, lettuce, asparagus, and other vegetables. 

 Those of the first generation (June and July) hollow 

 out lettuce stalks before the head begins to be formed ; 

 those of the second generation (August and Sep- 

 tember) feed on cabbage or asparagus leaves. The 

 first generation of moths appear in May, the second 

 in the first half of August. 



The Pea Moth {Mamestra jpisi). 



Moth: About § of an inch long; span of wings 

 about If of an inch. Fore wings bright reddish brown 

 with bluish-grey markings, and a yellowish longi- 

 tudinal streak. Hind wings reddish grey. Cater- 

 pillar : If of a inch ; cylindrical ; slender. Back dark 

 greenish or brown red ; closely and tolerably regularly 

 veined with dark lines, and with two sulphur yellow 

 longitudinal streaks on the back and one on each side. 

 Head, belly, and feet flesh red. If the caterpillar is 

 touched it moves the front part of its body about here 

 and there, and then lets itself fall down. The moths 

 appear in May and June ; the caterpillars are found 

 from July to September on peas, vetches, beans, 

 clover, lupins, sorrel, orach, heath, willow, birch, and 

 yet other plants. Seldom very destructive. 



