1 6 First Report on Economic Zoology. 
A New Potato Feeder : 
The Cinnabar Moth ( Euchelia jacobece). 
During the past year cpiite a number of new potato pests have 
appeared. Amongst them may be mentioned the caterpillars of the 
Cinnabar Moth (. Euchelia jacobece), sent by a correspondent of the 
Board from Alton, Hampshire. This moth is fairly common. The 
front wings when expanded measure from an inch and a half to an 
inch and three-quarters across ; they are dull black with a narrow red 
stripe near the upper margin and two spots on the outer margin of 
the same colour ; the hind wings are scarlet red with a narrow dull 
black margin. The moth appears in May and June and flies slowly 
during the day-time. The caterpillars feed usually on the Ragwort 
(Senecio jctcobcecc), and sometimes, as stated by the Board’s correspon- 
dent, on the Groundsel. As far as can be found out the potato is 
quite a new food-plant. As the larvae are found in companies, they 
could easily be cleared out of the potato crop, which should certainly 
be done, as they are very ravenous feeders. Ragwort may frequently 
be seen quite stripped of its leaves by these black and orange ringed 
larvae. 
MUSTARD PESTS. 
The Mustard Beetle ( Phcedon betulce , Linn.). 
The Mustard Beetle ( Phcedon betulce , Linn.) was reported this 
year (1902) to the Board as very destructive at Holbeacli, Lincolnshire, 
and information was asked for as to the best plans of coping with the 
attack. It can be materially lessened by various methods. 
The beetles pass the winter in a torpid condition in any shelter 
where they have been working in the summer and autumn. 
The larvae hatch from eggs laid in the spring upon various plants. 
The beetles which deposit these spring eggs have previously passed 
the winter in hollow stems of reeds along the dykes and ditches of 
the district and also commonly in the hollow mustard stocks left 
about in and around the fields and also in the mustard stubble. They 
also winter in mustard stacks, cracks and crevices of gates, posts, 
fences, rough grass and all manner of places. The larvae when 
mature pass into the ground to pupate, in which stage they remain 
from two to three weeks ; the beetles coming from these pupae at 
once attack the mustard crop. We find the beetle practically all the 
summer : it is therefore probable that there is more than one brood 
