. The book of the garden. Gardening. INSECTS INJURIOUS IN THE FLOWER-GARDEN. 833 of May till August, feeding upon the plants of the genus Verbascum, often completely destroy- ing every vestige of the foliage excepting the mid-ribs. It also attacks the leaves and often the petals of other plants, particularly those of Scrophularia. The caterpillar, when fully grown, is above 2 inches in length, of a dirty white or slaty colour ; each segment is marked with four black dots, sometimes distinct, at other times confluent. There are also smaller black dots along the sides, and a row of yellow ones a
. The book of the garden. Gardening. INSECTS INJURIOUS IN THE FLOWER-GARDEN. 833 of May till August, feeding upon the plants of the genus Verbascum, often completely destroy- ing every vestige of the foliage excepting the mid-ribs. It also attacks the leaves and often the petals of other plants, particularly those of Scrophularia. The caterpillar, when fully grown, is above 2 inches in length, of a dirty white or slaty colour ; each segment is marked with four black dots, sometimes distinct, at other times confluent. There are also smaller black dots along the sides, and a row of yellow ones along the back. The head is yellow, spotted with black. The perfect insect appears in May, about 2 inches from tip to tip of the expanded fore wings, which are of a reddish-brown colour, clouded and lined with black streaks, with a largish white spot on each somewhat resembling the figure 3. The hind or under wings differ little except in size, and being of a lighter colour than the upper ones, sometimes almost white. The eggs are laid upon the Verbascum and allied plants, and if the weather be warm they are hatched in a few days. The caterpillars, when fully grown, descend into the ground near to the roots of the plants upon which they have been bred, and there form cocoons of leaves and earth, so hard cemented together as to resemble hard clods. This, together with the large size of the caterpillar while feeding, affords the means of their destruction, by hand-picking in the one case, and searching for these clods in the other. They remain in the pupa state till the following May, even sometimes for two years. The spotted buff-moth, Spilosoma lubricipeda (Bombyx lubricipeda), fig. 73, although attacking many of the productions of the kitchen garden, such as turnips, carrots, mint, scarlet-runners, &c, yet its voracious habits extend to many flowering plants also; indeed, almost no green leaf appears to be exempt from its attacks. For description of it, see page 196. Melitc
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectgardening, bookyear18
