DOT MOTH. 
68 
very difficult to detect when at rest in the daytime on the stems or 
leaves of the plants.” This point is important economically, and so 
is that of their sudden disappearance. On the 2nd of October my 
correspondent at Leicester above mentioned wrote that the large 
caterpillars on the Gooseberry bushes had “ vanished as if by magic." 
But they are only buried, and from the dark brown chrysalids beneath 
the surface the Dot Moths will make their appearance (unless measures 
are taken to the contrary) about the end of June, or possibly earlier, 
next year and start new attack. 
The moth is of the size figured (p. 61). The fore wings of a rich dark 
brown or black ground colour, varied with chestnut or rust colour, and 
small pale spots or flecks at the tips and near the hinder edge, and also 
bear a conspicuous bright white patch or “ dot ” (of the shape figured near 
the centre), from which the moth takes its name. The hinder wings 
have the lower half pale with a broad dark smoky band towards the 
margin, and the nervures very observable. 
The caterpillar feeds on many kinds of plants, especially on Elder. 
Amongst field-crop plants it is to be found at times on Mangolds and 
Hops. It preys on Raspberry, and is noticed by Dr. E. L. Taschen- 
berg as also, in the year 1871, being found on orchard trees. From 
the lists of its food plants given in different publications and by 
different observers it is obviously a very general feeder, and amongst 
the weed plants that it infests is “ Knot Grass ” from one kind of 
which the moth takes its specific scientific name. 
Prevention and Remedies.— No better plan than hand-picking 
seems to be known of for getting rid of the caterpillars from off the 
plants. Recurrence of attack in the following year from presence of 
chrysalids in the ground during the winter may be prevented or much 
lessened by stirring the soil so as to turn them up to the surface. The 
exposure to weather, especially to alternate frost and wet when not in 
their naturally arranged shelters, may be expected to kill at least a 
large proportion of them. Removal of the weeds which the caterpillars 
especially prefer for food would also be likely to be beneficial. 
Syringings and dusting which would make the leafage unattractive 
to the caterpillars could not fail to do good. Probably soft-soap and 
sulphur washes such as Burford’s compound, mentioned at page 8, 
would be useful. Or spraying the infested bushes lightly, so as just to 
damp the surface, and then dusting well with soot, or with a mixture 
of soot together with quick-lime, gas-lime and sulphur all very finely 
powdered together, would do good ; or this might be applied when the 
dew is on. 
# In cases like this a thorough good drenching of cold water may very 
likely do all that is needed. If the caterpillars fall off with the shock, they 
