212 



Insect Pests. 



A CURRANT FRUIT MOTH. 



{Sjii/uiiiifd rohui'ii ml . Tr. 



Wlieu iiivestigaliu^Lf the condition of the orchards and plantations 

 in Worcestershire in 1906, my attention was drawn to a curious 

 iittack in black currants by Mr. Denis Best at Temple Lauglierne 

 and by (_'a[itain Crane at Stourport and others (3). The attacked 

 berries wlien seen in August were still hanging in a mummified 

 condition on the bushes and all showed, as pointed out to me by 

 tli.ose on the spot, the large round hole seen in the photograph 

 (Fig. 1(W). 



CoUinge also reports this pest in Worcestershire at Mr. Best's (1), 

 and says it is Spiloiintii rolxn'ii iin. 



{F. Edentleii. 

 Fli:. 162.— A BL.VCIC- CUUKAST FKDIT .MOTH (sp Y) ANH .VL'TAOKEIi CUIIUANT. 



The larvae apparently feed in the ripening currants, hollow them 

 out, and then leave them as dried masses wliicli hang on after the 

 fruit is gathered. L'upte were found amongst dead leaves on the 

 bushes and from these two moths were bred out, namely Sjiiloiiota 

 rohoraiia and Hi'iiwivsin j'liriillclld ; which is the culprit is not known 

 definitely at present, a.nd 1 am not sure that it is either, for the mere 

 finding of pupaj spun up around the damaged fruit is not necessarily 

 a sign that they have come from the larva:' eating the currants. 



Until some more observations have been made it is not advisable 

 to deal with this subject further. 



The Sjii/o)tota rohotrniii bred from pupK taken from Captain 

 Crane's Inishes feeds normally in rose shoots, l.uit occurs now and 

 then on apple and (ither plants ; it a[ipears in April and May. 



These facts do not tally with the damage done to the currants. 



The other species bred out, lliiinrosia rJiiiilirl/ii, uornu^lly feeds 

 on apple and hawthorn. 



