52 



Insect Pests. 



[F. E. 

 FIG. 3 0. — A P P L F, 

 FRUITLET EATEK 

 RV WINTER MOTH. 



along hedgei'ows and in the orchards and gardens. They are attracted 



by light. One often sees them collected on street lamps, and they 

 occur outside windows. 



Tlu.s is a habit we may well bear in mind, for it 

 is ])0ssible that we might trap them in very large 

 numbers by light, and thus prevent the fertilisation 

 (jf the females. The females crawl out of the soil 

 from tlieir cocoons and earthen cases. Nature directs 

 them by one of her marvellous ways to the tree 

 trunk, and this they ascend to deposit their eggs. 

 Some, however, ha\'e been found in grass orchards 

 crawling up the herbage, and it appears beyond 

 doulit tiiat some of these are carried by the males in 

 copula. The numlier, however, is comparatively few. 

 The dates of appearance of the Winter Moth vary 

 to such an extent that one can only give here very wide 

 limits. The earliest date I have record of is the 1st 

 of October, 1.S9G, and the latest the 12th of January, 

 1905. This was on walnuts at Kingston-on-Thames. 



Their appearance on this tree is always later tlian on apple or plum. 



In some places they appear at one time, in others at another. For 



instance, during 1907 they were re- 

 ported by Mr. Mercer of Eodmersham 



as covering the grease bands in Novem- 

 ber, whilst at Wye they were at the 



" swarming period " on the 17th of 



December. Six years ago the swarming 



period at the latter place was the 2nd of 



iSTovendaer. It is quite impossible to say 



wlien they will hatch out. The limits, 



for practical purposes, may be included 



between the 1st of October and the 15th 



of January. Frecpiently we ha\'e a few 



females straggling up some weeks before 



and some weeks after the main hatching. 



Tins again we must bear in mind, for 



a single female may deposit as many 



as 350 ova, enough, if they all hatched 



out, to defoliate a tree. 



The females mainly seem to be ferti- 

 lised during their ascent, but lui\e been found in copula on the .shoots. 



Whether the latter had been carried \ip liy the male or not is unknowH' 



fi;kies k.vten liv wistek 



:*10TU I.AP.V.E. 



