Lettuce pests

1649. Lettuces are greedily devoured by the larvﾵ of two moths of no very diminutive size. One of these is the beautiful Tiger moth (A'retia Caja Lat.). The caterpillar is hairy, and is sometimes known by the name of the palmer worm. The other is the Miller, or Pot-herb moth (Noctua oleracea F.). Both these, as caterpillars, may be seen, when about to become pupﾵ, crawling about in search of a place to undergo their metamorphosis. The caterpillar of Charﾵ'as graminis Fab. is very destructive to pastures. In 1759, and again in 1802, as Mr. Kirby states, 'the high sheep farms in Tweeddale were dreadfully infested by a caterpillar, which was probably of this species; spots of a mile square were totally destroyed by them, and the grass devoured to the roots.'

Social Bookmarks