i9io.] 



Grease-banding of Fruit Trees. 



543 



If the trees are mainly attacked by Tortrix larvae, Lackey 

 Moth, or other moths which have winged females, grease- 

 banding is, of course, waste of money, even if a few Winter 

 Moths do appear, for spraying will be necessary to kill the 

 Tortrix, Lackey Moth, &c, and the same wash (arsenate of 

 lead) will kill the Winter Moth caterpillars. The damage 

 caused by the above insects with winged females is either 

 small or local, and it will be found that grease-banding is 

 nearly everywhere necessary. 



The following moths of the wingless female group attack 

 fruit trees : — 



1. The Winter Moth (Chcimatobia britmata). 



2. The Mottled Umber Moth (Hybernia defoliaria). 



3. The Early Moth (Hybernia rupicapraria). 



4. The March Moth (Anisopteryx cescularia). 



5. The Pale Brindled Beauty (Phigalia pilosaria). 



6. The Dotted Border Moth (Hybernia progemmaria). 

 The Winter Moth is by far the most general, and is most 



prevalent on apple, plum, cherry and pear, and nuts. The 

 Mottled Umber Moth is usually most abundant in plantations 

 surrounded by oak woods. It feeds on apple, cherry, pear, 

 and nuts; now and again on other fruits. The Early Moth 

 is especially prevalent on plum, but it occurs on other kinds 

 of fruit. Its usual food seems to be blackthorn and white- 

 thorn. The March Moth is found especially on plums and 

 nuts, also on apple, whitethorn and blackthorn. The Pale 

 Brindled Beauty occurs on apple and plum, near oak planta- 

 tions, and on sloe. The Dotted Border Moth occurs on apple 

 and plum, but I have only found it in grease-bands at Wye 

 Court, and have never had any complaints of it. Its normal 

 food-plants are oak, birch, &c. 



All of these insects in their caterpillar stage feed on forest, 

 woodland, and hedgerow foliage as well, and can never be 

 exterminated from such places. 



These and many other insects w<ere taken on the grease- 

 bands during the months under observation, as shown in the 

 following tables : — 



Insects caught in Grease-bands on Three Apple and 

 Three Plum Trees. — 1908- 1909. 



October. —Winter Moth, 29 females, 40 males; Mottled Umber, 



