MOTTLED UMBER MOTH. 
15 
The caterpillar of the Mottled Umber Moth is (as shown in the 
figure) a “ looper,” like that of the Winter Moth, but is somewhat 
larger, and may be easily distinguished from it by its peculiar colouring ; 
it is brown above, with a yellow stripe along each side, the brown and 
yellow being separated by a waved black line. Like others of the 
caterpillars specially known as “loopers,” it has, instead of four pairs 
of “ sucker-feet” below the body, only one pair besides the pair at the 
end of the tail; so that in walking it cannot progress forward con¬ 
tinuously, but has to bring the sucker-feet and tail-suckers forward to 
where it is held firm by the claw-feet (as shown in the figure), and 
thus it forms an upright “ loop,” whence the name of “ looper.” 
The caterpillars feed on various forest-trees, as Lime, Oak, &c., 
and it is noted by Kollar that they sometimes appear in great numbers, 
and do much damage to fruit-trees. They will also feed on unripe 
Cherries, gnawing away one side of the fruit. When full-fed, which 
may be during June, or even a little later, the caterpillars turn to 
chrysalis on or a little under the surface of the ground. From these 
caterpillars the moths come out in October or November, about the 
same time, that is, that the Winter Moths appear. Like them, the 
male moth only is winged. This is of the size and appearance figured, 
that is, about twice the size of the Winter Moth ; the colour is usually 
of a pale brown or reddish yellow, with dark transverse bands, but 
sometimes the bands are absent. 
The female moth has only abortive wings, and precisely the same 
methods of prevention of attack which serve for the Winter Moth are 
of use for this also. The sticky bands placed round orchard-trees 
towards the end of October or November will catch either kind as they 
attempt to creep up the tree. If not prevented taking possession the 
females lay from two to four hundred eggs on twigs towards the top of 
the tree, from which the caterpillars hatch in the spring; and when 
this has taken place, the only remedy appears to be shaking down the 
caterpillars and destroying them. 
The two main points of prevention and remedy which have been 
brought forward last season as really practicable and useful, are 
shaking and jarring the infested trees, so as to make the pests, whether 
moth-caterpillars of various kinds, or beetles, fall to the ground; and 
also smearing the trunks of trees with a band of some sticky material 
(near the ground-level), so as to prevent wingless female moths 
making their way up the trunks for egg-laying. The first kind of 
treatment is applicable for attack of any kind of insect, whether moth, 
beetle, or otherwise, which will fall to a sharp shake or jar; the second 
is serviceable not only for preventing wingless moths crawling up the 
the trees, but also for preventing caterpillars returning which have 
been shaken down. 
