Insect'S Injiirioii-^ to flic Cliei'i'i/. 



195 



THE CHERRY TREE CASE-BEARER. 



{C'o/riiji/iorii II nul i jiriiiifllii . llli.) 



This insect is one easily tuld by tlie curious case I'nmicd by tlie 

 cater[)illav reseniblinL;- iviuglily a pistol, and lience it has liecn called 

 the Pistol Case-Tiearer. The first inquiry I liad concerninn' it was 

 in 1893, when a niiinlicr nf the larval cases were sent me from 

 Sellindge with a note regarding the great damage they had jjeen 

 doing to cherry foliage during that yeai' ( L ). In 1807 a similar 

 attack was noticed at Wxq (1), the foliage Ijeing denuded by these 

 insects. Inqniries ha\'e alsn been received from Susse.v, Surrey 

 and Somersctshii'e. 



The damage done )jy these insects is chietiy in spring-time, 

 when they come from their winter rest and cdmmence devouring 

 the buds as they open. .i\s the 

 leaves open out tlie>" crawl with 

 their cases over the foliage and 

 devour the upper epidernris and the 

 mesophyll, leaving a pale patch of 

 the lower skin, much as is done 

 bv the Slugworm. 



Lintner (2) refers tn an allied 

 species, i'. niiilirnrrlln, liiley, doing 

 damage in America. 



LiKK-HisrriKv, Ivrc. 



The a,dnlt moth may be found 

 on the wing fmni July to August, 

 arrd occurs from Xewca.stle to the 

 most southern ]iart of England. 

 The win-s are cream \--white, with numerous scattered fusc.ms scales, 

 which are especiallv noticeable towards the tips of the ^angs ; the 

 fringes are white; the bind wings are dusky, with haig iringes ot 

 dusky -rey, paler than the wmgs. The moths are found flying about 

 hedgerows towards evening. In length they reach about ^ inch 

 from wing-tip to wing-tip. 



The female lavs her eggs on the underside of the leaves. 

 Besides the cherry thev lay them also on the apple and the sloe, 

 but It seems to be 'always the cherry that they attack in numl,ers 



The ova appear to hatch in two or tlu'ee weeks. In a tew da) s 



