Four Allies of the Winter Moth. 



51 



The commonest of these is the " Great Winter Moth," or 

 Mottled Umber" [Hyhernia defoliaria], also called the 

 Leaf Stripper. 



The male moth is large, having a wing expanse of over 

 one and a half to one and three-quarter inches. Its fore- 

 wings are yellowish, or light orange, dusted with dark brown, 

 and have two thick dark wavy patches on each. The hind- 



The Great Winter Moth [Hybcnu'a dcfoliarid). 



Male moth ; female moth, wingless ; caterpillar. All natural size. 



wings are a duller yellow, with a very small central spot, 

 and are dusted with light brown. The female has no 

 signs of wings, and is ochreous, thickly covered with 

 black spots. The winged male moths may be first seen in 

 the twilight towards the end of October, flying round apple 

 and other trees, and if careful search is made the wingless 

 females can be found upon the ground under the trees^ and 

 Tipon their trunks. The date of the first appearance of 

 these moths depends upon the weather, and in some season? 

 they may be noticed as late as December. The females, 

 which can run quickly, go up the trees after pairing, and 

 deposit long yellowish-white eggs, which become darker 

 later, singly upon the shoots and twigs near the buds. A 

 female will lay as many as 300 eggs. In the spring, as the 

 buds begin to swell, the caterpillars are hatched, and imme- 

 diately creep into them, feeding upon the leaves and 

 blossoms as they form. The ten-footed caterpillars are slender, 

 about an inch and a quarter long, and of a yellowish ground 

 colour with chestnut brown markings. There is a succession 

 of caterpillars up to the end of June. When fully fed the 



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