1907.] 



Insect, Fungous and other Pests. 



213 



caterpillars, therefore, move by a looping or spanning move- 

 ment, hence being named Geometers, Loopers or Spanners. 

 In numbers they may be very destructive. In the case of 

 roses being attacked, the caterpillars should be hand-picked 

 and destroyed. They may, however, easily be overlooked 

 owing to their habit of mimicking twigs, holding on by their 

 hind feet and keeping their bodies stretched out quite motionless 

 for prolonged periods. 



Eyed Hawk Moth. — From East Finchley two examples of 

 the large Eyed Hawk Moth, Smerinthus ocellatus, were received. 

 "They were apparently egg-laying on apple trees, the foliage of 

 which, especially in the case of young trees, might be much 

 ^damaged by the caterpillars hatched later on. Poplars and 

 willows are also infested. The caterpillars vary much in colour 

 during their growth. They are generally apple-green, with 

 rough skin dotted with white, while on each side seven white 

 stripes slope backwards. At the tail end is a projecting horn- 

 like structure. The caterpillars attain a large size, reaching 

 by autumn a length of 2 J- to 3 in., but, notwithstanding their 

 size, they may easily be overlooked owing to their protective 

 •coloration. When the moths have been seen flying round 

 .apple trees, careful observation should be kept for caterpillars 

 towards the end of June and during July, and if found they 

 •should be hand-picked or shaken from the trees and destroyed. 

 The moths have been noticed egg-laying early in June. 



Figure-of-S Moth. — With specimens of Winter moth cater- 

 pillars from Ely were forwarded also those of the Figure-of-8 

 Moth, Diloba coeruleocephala. These caterpillars are orchard 

 pests, but feed also on the leaves of various trees. They 

 have not a very good grip of the plant, and can be shaken down 

 or knocked off with heavy washings. The moths fly in Sep- 

 tember and onwards, issuing from cocoons attached to twigs, 

 *&c, of the plants on which they feed. They come readily 

 ±0 lights, so that if any open shed be near the attacked trees 

 -the moths can be trapped by tarring the roof of the shed and 

 attracting them at night by lighted lamps. The caterpillar 

 may be poisoned by spraying with Paris green or arsenate of 

 lead, as recommended in Leaflet No. 4 for Winter moth 

 caterpillars. 



Magpie Moth on Euonymus. — Near Blackpool the caterpillars 



