APPLE AND ORCHARD ATTACKS. 
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Small Ermine Moth, Yponomeuta padella , Linn.; and Small 
Ermine Apple Moth, Yponomeuta malivorella , Westwood. 
Caterpillars of the Small Ermine Moths swarmed to such an 
extent on the trees at Toddington, in Gloucestershire, that in the early 
part of the summer Capt. Corbett informed me they collected the 
cocoons by bucketsfull. As in the case of the Lackey Moth, the eggs 
are fastened to the twigs of the infested tree, and the caterpillars live 
in companies in web-tents amongst the leafage, on which they feed. 
Small Ermine Apple Moth, and cocoons in web ; caterpillar much magnified. 
The eggs are' laid in small patches, covered with gum, and caterpillars 
may be found in October; and, to continue the history without going 
into all the details of their early life, in the spring or early summer of 
the following year they appear on the leafage of the attacked trees 
(sometimes in vast numbers), and spin webs, where they live in large 
companies. Whitethorn hedges especially suffer from these cater¬ 
pillars, and their leafless condition hung with dirty, ragged remains of 
web-nests is only too well known. Plum, and many other trees, 
including Pear and Cherry, are stated by various writers to be attacked 
by these caterpillars, and Apple-trees also, either by this kind, or one 
exceedingly like it, distinguished as the Small Ermine Apple Moth. 
Last summer, amongst various communications on orchard-attacks, 
specimens of cocoons of this moth were forwarded to me, on July 9th, 
from Withington, near Hereford, by Mr. John Watkin, with the 
observation that they were samples of the cocoons of the grubs which 
had been doing much injury to orchards in Herefordshire, some trees 
being completely stripped. 
* The attacks of the two nearly allied moths, Yponomeuta padella, Linn., and 
Y. malivorella , described by Professor Westwood in the ‘ Gardeners’ Chronicle ’ for 
1849, p. 60, are so extremely similar that it appears to me very difficult to separate 
them with absolute certainty, unless by examination of the cocoons. I have, there¬ 
fore, given Prof. Westwood’s figure of the kind considered more especially to infest 
the Apple; but for all practical purposes the kinds may be considered together. 
