LEPIDOPTBRA (MOTHS). 



199 



latter part of May and in June, whilst in flight, amongst vege- 

 tation. The larvae feed upon the rootage just beneath the soil, 

 and continue all the winter. In the spring they pupate in the 

 same place : the pupse are chestnut brown, with circles of spines 

 around them. The larvae are often quite green, although the 

 skin is white, the food showing through. They are very active 

 underground, preferring loose soil to work in ; when put on 

 the soil or in the hand they wriggle violently backwards when 



Fig. 100. — The Ghost-moth (Jfepialus Jiumuli). 

 la, Male ; 1&, female ; 2, larva ; 3, pupa. 



touched. Strawberries, lettuce, and mint seem their favourite 

 diet. The moth is about an inch in expanse of wing and 

 brown in colour, with white markings as shown in fig. 99, 

 and flies with great rapidity at dusk over the tops of the 

 grass and other plants. 



Remedies. — Dry dressings of soot, lime, kainit, or vaporite in 

 the winter drive them away or kill them, whilst prong-hoeing 

 disturbs them and exposes some to the attack of birds. 



The Ghost-moth (H. humiiU) is a large, pure, satiny-white 



