CORRESPONDENCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6486, 15 May 1899, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

MOTH-CATCHING PLANTS. TO THE EDITOK. Sir, — In a recent issue \of the " Star " there appeared a local describing a mothcatching plant, which was exhibited at the recent ram fair by Mr Guntrip, of Spreydon. The plant is the Arauja Albans; of Brazil, and is said "to be exeremely useful in orchards in catching the codlin moth." There can be no dcubb that, so far as New Zealand is concerned, the latter remark is a fallacy. So far as is known at present the codlin moths only visit the blossoms of apple and pear trees in New Zealand. As there is only one brood of the moth in a season which is on the wing when apple and pear trees are in bloom ; and as the moth-catching plant does not bloom for two or three months after the codlin moths have deposited their eggs and died off for the season, it is clear - that the plant cannot possibly capture them. The larger plants in bloom here through the autumn months capture troops of the larger nocturnal moths. I, however, have never found a single tortrix moth— the group to which the codlin moth belongs — in any of the numerous blooms. The plant captures numbers of the destructive grass moth, while it also captures numbers of useful species, which are valuable flower fertilizers. I have only once observed a honey-bee captured, and Mr Bickerstaff, of the railway goods department here, informs me that he also has seen one. entrapped, which are the only two instances of the plant destroying other insects than the larger niglit-flying moths.— l am, etc., W. W. SMITH. Ashburton, May 12.