54 



Insect Pests. 



The hal>its of the Winter Motli larv;e are varied. At first, as 

 fxplained, tliey feed on the opening leaf Inids ; later they get into the 

 blossom trusses and spin them together and also the leaves, living 



under the shelter they form. Before 

 reaching maturity they feed freely on 

 the foliage again, and are known to 

 attack the fruit, especially cherries. 

 Damage to fruit lias been verj' notice- 

 al)le when they invade gooseberries 

 growing under apples or plums. 



By the middle of June the cater- 

 pillars arc mostly mature and they 

 tlien fall to the ground ; at least we 

 su]ipose so, for no one seems to have 

 They all reach the ground in some 

 way, and tlie majority enter the soil to the depth of two or three 

 inches. Having pressed out a small cavity in the earth they spin 

 an oval case of silk, which liecomes covered externally with particles 

 of eartli. In this silken and earthen case the " Looper " larva, having 



vvvy, .1-Nii rocoij 



obser\'ed them do Ilther^^ise. 



-Al'lM.E TREES HEEuLI ATEI> HV WINTER 3IOTH LARV.E. 



contracted consideral )ly, casts its skin and becomes a brown pupa. 

 This hatches into the male or female limn October to early January, 

 and the adult Ibrces its way out of the soil. If in grass orchards it 



