August  11,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
109 
The  caterpillar  lives  on  Hypericums  and  allied  plants.  It  has  a 
peculiar  abode,  made  by  cutting  a  leaf  across  and  turning  the  edges 
so  as  to  form  a  cone. 
Some  of  the  Hat  bodies  are  not  uncommon  garden  moths;  they 
are  thus  named  because  the  body  of  the  insect  looks  as  if  it  had  been 
subjected  to  pressure  ;  they  rank  among  the  larger  species  of  Tineae. 
The  little  wainscot,  sometimes  called  the  Carrot  moth  (Depressaria 
nervosa)  has  wings  nearly  an  inch  in  expanse ;  they  are  shiny,  of  a 
red  brown,  and  in  the  middle  of  each  fore  wing  are  two  small  white 
dats.  We  find  the  caterpillar  on  Carrot  leaves  in  June  and  September  ; 
it  is  greenish -grey,  dotted  with  black  tubercles,  and  has  a  brown  head 
which  shows  two  bright  spots.  It  rolls  up  the  leaves  by  silk  into 
or  some  kindred  species,  is  going  out  of  bloom,  we  notice  a  little  head 
peeping  from  a  dried  calyx,  which  contains  the  caterpillar  of  Gelechia 
subocella.  Looking  closer,  we  may  discover  this  abode  consists  of 
several  of  these  fastened  together,  to  serve  as  a  portable  protection 
while  the  insect  journeys  about,  eating  the  immature  seeds.  Others 
of  this  genus  live  in  pods  and  capsules,  or  burrow  along  stems, 
but  they  are  not  particularly  mischievous.  The  moths  are  remark¬ 
ably  agile  on  the  wiDg,  and  even  entomologists  have  trouble  in 
catching  them;  they  are  often  of  dull  colours;  some  species  hide 
during  the  day. 
Tiny,  yet  more  brilliant,  are  the  species  of  Lithocolletis.  Most  of 
the  caterpillars  spend  their  lives  within  leaves  or  shoots.  The  moths 
Fig.  20. — LiELIO-CATTLEYA  MGRAMI  GIGANTEA. 
cylinders,  which  hide  it  from  view.  I  do  not  think  this  species  does 
much  harm  in  Britain.  Miss  Ormerod  states  that  the  caterpillars  are 
often  seized  by  the  small  solitary  wasps,  or  Odyneri,  which  store  them  as 
food  for  their  own  larvse.  More  mischievous  certainly  is  the  Carrot 
blossom  moth,  D.  daucella;  its  caterpillars  appear  in  July  and  August, 
drawing  together  the  heads  of  the  plant,  and  feeding  within  this 
chamber  on°the  flowers'  and  seeds.  It  rather  resembles  the  preceding 
species,  but  is  less  in  size,  and  a  little  paler  in  colour.  Another  moth 
of  this  genus  occasionally  seen  in  gardens  is  the  Thistle  flat-body,  or 
D.  carduella,  a  small  red  and  yellow  moth.  The  caterpillar  does  not 
limit  its  operations  to  Thistles,  but  visits  at  times  various  species  of 
Centaurea  in  gardens,  eating  into  and  damaging  the  heads. 
Many  of  the  Tineas,  besides  the  above,  live  while  they  are  cater¬ 
pillars  secreted  within  flowers,  or  clothe  themselves  from  them  by 
using  part  of  the  envelope.  Thus,  for  example,  when  the  Marjoram, 
repose  on  leavts  in  the  sun,  and,  if  disturbed,  they  make  a  skip  or  short 
flight  to  another  leaf  near  at  hand ;  the  antennse  are  constantly 
vibrating,  even  when  they  are  settled.  As  an  example,  we  may  take 
the  Honeysuckle  species,  L.  emberizaepennella,  the  moth  having 
yellowish  wings  ornamented  with  wdiite  bands  and  a  silky  fringe. 
During  the  summer  it  deposits  eggs  on  wild  or  garden  Honeysuckles, 
and  towards  the  autumn  the  effect  of  the  caterpillar’s  work  is  visible 
in  the  blotched,  distorted  leaves. 
Another  species,  which  is  known  as  the  Pear  blister  moth  (L. 
Clerchella),  has  silvery  white  wings,  with  a  spot  of  golden  bronze  at 
the  tip.  The  caterpillar  makes  its  tunnel  between  the  surfaces  of  Pear 
leaves.  The  pretty  plume  moths,  having  wings  divided  and  feathered, 
flit  about  our  gardens  in  summer  and  autumn.  One  of  the  conspicuous 
species  is  the  common  white  plume  ;  its  caterpillar  feeds  on  the  Con¬ 
volvulus. — Entomologist. 
