CHAP. CXIII.
coni'fer.®. abie'tinie.
2145
The caterpillars of Psilura monacha (or the black arches moth) occasion-ally feed upon the old trees of Pinus sylvestris, according to Rossmassler.
In the family Lithosiidas, Lithosia aureola feeds upon the /1'bies excelsaand on Pinus sylvestris; P. complana, occasionally upon the latter ; P. de-pressa, upon the same ; and P. quadra, occasionally on the fir.
Amongst the IVoctuidae, the most destructive species is the Achatea spretaFabr. (AToctua piniperda Kub.), a species of considerable rarity in England,which is recorded by the Continental writers as occasionally doing very greatinjury in the pine forests. It is figured, both in the winged and larva state,by Mr. Curtis {Brit. Ent., pi. 117.); who remarks that the caterpillars, “likethose of iSphimr pinastri, Bupalus piniarius, &c., are striped in a way toresemble the leaves upon which they feed: they are full grown about theend of June, when they descend into the earth, and become chrysalides; andthe following March the fly appears. At this time multitudes, no doubt, aredestroyed by the inclemency of the season, thereby preventing the seriousconsequences that occur when such a check is withheld by the great Authorof nature, who has protected them with a clothing that has a greater resem-blance to hair than scales, and, no doubt, is better adapted to their wants,since we find the same in many other moths which make their appearance atan early period of the year.” Rossmassler gives the old trees of Pinus syl-vestris as the habitat of this species. Aoctua (Dypterygia Steph.) pinastriLinn, feeds on several species of Pumex. In the family Geometridae, theGeometra (Bupalus Leach) piniaria Linn, is a great pest; and it is fortunatethat it is of considerable rarity in this country. The following report, ad-dressed by the inspector of forests at Strasburg to the bureau of the admi-nistration of woods and forests at Paris, and published in Silbermann’sRevue Entomologique, will show the extent of damage which this insect iscapable of committing:—“ At the end of 1822, a malady occurred amongst thefir trees in the Forest of Hagenau, one of very considerable extent, nearStrasburg, extending over 7000 hectares. The firs, covering a space of about40 hectares, were at first observed to have their leaves of a yellow colour,and to be dried in their appearance. The cause of this malady was soughtfor in vain; but, during the following year, it was so much increased, thatmore minute researches were made; and it was at length discovered that itwas owing to the attacks of the larva of the moth, which commenced itsravages at the beginning of the month of May, passing from tree to tree,until the month of October, when it descends into the ground to undergoits transformations. The trees attacked in 1832 are now entirely destroyed,without hope of future vegetation.” Stephens gives .Tbiesexcelsa and Pinus sylvestris as its habitats, {lllustr. Brit.
Ent., iii. p. 147.) Bouche states that the most advantageousmeans of preventing its attacks is, to hunt for and destroythe chrysalides in the winter, under the moss at the roots ofthe attacked trees. The caterpillars of Ellopia fasciaria(Gedmetra Linn.) and Thera variata also feed upon dif-ferent species of Pinus ; the latter preferring Picea vulgarisand J'bies excelsa. De Geer {Memoires, tom. ii. t. 9. f.
10—12. has figured the transformations of several smallmoths, the caterpillars of which feed within the cone of thefir. Phalae'na Tinea pini Betz., ibid., fig. 14. {fig. 2016.is a cone enclosing two caterpillars; a a representingthe excrement ejected from the cone); Phalae'na strobi-lorum pini major Retz., ibid., fig. 15.; Phalae'na strobi-lorum pini minor Retz., tom. i. pi. 22. fig. 27.; Phalae'nagemmarum pini Retz. There are several other smallmoths which are also destructive to the young cones andbuds of the fir; namely : Tdrtrix Buoliana {Ratzeburg and Rossmassler)and T. Turionana (genus Orthotae'nia Stephens). Mr. Curtis bred thelatter from caterpillars which feed on the shoots of the Scotch pine. Ortho-
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