200 



Insect, Fungus and other Pests. [june, 



Moths. — Inquiries as to the caterpillars of the winter moths 

 (Leaflet No. 4) were received from Colnbrook, Slough, where 

 both top and bottom fruit were stated to 

 Notes on Insect, Fungus be much damaged, and from Cambridge, 



and Other Pests.* gooseberry and plum trees being badly 

 attacked in that county. It should be 

 noted that the caterpillars not only infest taller orchard trees 

 like plum, cherry, apple and pear, but frequently pass to the 

 lower fruit bushes under orchard trees. It is necessary to 

 emphasize the importance of winter spraying in late January 

 or early February in the manner recommended in Leaflet No. 

 70. Banding the trees at the proper season, as described in 

 Leaflet No. 4, should be practised. Where the caterpillars are 

 in evidence spraying with arsenate of lead in the paste form 

 will poison the food of the caterpillars and thus destroy them „ 

 as indeed many other forms of leaf-eating insects. 



Larvae of the magpie moth (Leaflet No. 20) were received 

 from St. Mabyn, Cornwall, where they were damaging goose- 

 berry bushes. Larvae of the raspberry moth (Leaflet No. 14) 

 were received from Meigle. 



Flies. — A fly received from Carmarthen was found to be a 

 specimen of Eristalis tenax, the Drone fly. This insect is 

 not injurious to fruit trees or plants, and it may be useful in 

 promoting pollination. The eggs of the Eristalis flies are laid 

 in water containing decaying organic matter, or in putrescent 

 carcases which have been allowed to lie until putrefaction 

 reaches a liquid stage. The maggots are aquatic in their habits. 



Specimens of leather-jackets, or the larvae of daddy-longlegs 

 (Leaflet No. 11), were received from Broughton-in-Furness, 

 where they are stated to have done hundreds of pounds worth 

 of damage, acres of oats in South Cumberland and North Lanca- 

 shire having been destroyed. Spring oats have also been 

 seriously damaged on many farms near Helston, Cornwall, 

 re-seeding having been necessary in some cases ; winter wheat 

 is also patchy. A correspondent writing from Plymouth stated 

 that he had lost several acres of oats from the same cause, 

 and feared he would lose more. 



* Notes on insect, fungus and other pests, dealing with the specimens submitted 

 to the Board for identification, and their apparent prevalence, will appear in this 

 [ournal month by month. The notes commenced with the issue for June, 1907. 



