, 1882-11-25
Effects of Weather ON
Insect Life.
From the Times

FMS the consulting entomOlOgist to the
Royal Agricultural Society of England,
delivered a lecture on TIE above subject.
Al the outset the lecturer protested against
the current opinion that weather affected
all insect life alike; this was far from being
the case. The golden chatter, or turnip flea
beetle, throve in very hot sunshine. while
the daddy l~ongIeQs or crane fly liked the
cool dampness vi OvelshaJOwed meadow
grass. What one species OF insect thrived
on in It's fully developed state might be
precisely what would not have suited 1t
as a caterpillar or a grub. We also re-
Qniied to distinguish the meaning of the
word /" weather." tor differences IN the
amount Of heat or cold acted very different
", according 10 the amount OF rainfall or
of moisture accompanying them. Many
grubs, such as those called surface cater
pillars, would stauG severe cold so long as
they were in their own specially prepared
wiutering places, bnt ii thrown out SO as
to be exposed to wet also, would die. A
sudden downfall Of cold lain in summer
would clear off cale' pillars, but with re-
gard to some kinds OF eggs, though heavy
rain might destroy them, yet they would
not hatch as well IN drought or heat as
when there was a certuln amount OF mOje-
ture in the air. Insect lite WAS also At
fected, not only by the state OF the wea.
Their for the time being, or shortly before
any given tin but the effec 3 OF weather
might be traced for one or two years or
more, sometimes directly on the cOndiliO,
of the insects themselves, sometimes by
promoting the groWth Ul special weeds,
which might be :he TODD plaut OF SOM"
pprciaI uIant pest (the h aIlock, tor cxalN-
plt), and also by 30 affecting the state nf
the ground that regular measures OF cult
Walton by which plant and insect vrrmin
were usually cleared out could not be
carried on. II they considered the G"u-
diuon Uf their common lnrm insects du-
ring autumn and winter, the time whrn
the tam operations OF the year commtnceI
they would see some OF the reasons why
they were uniniured even by severe cold
Tn winter state which they called by Der
nation was not simply a torPiiity caused
by the cold, for it was found, in casos
where the regular time Tor hyberna'lon
had not arrived, that insects nal carrie o.
their occupation quite undis'urb d by "
drop in the temperature Of some degrees
lower than the warmth OF some weeks
later, when tn y were retiring IT, duo
course TO their winter quarters Ftyber'
nation appeared TO pc quite a distinct
condition from mere effect OF cold; rather
u c"oustitu iona, seasonal influence, in
which insects, while they had still aI
their instructive faculties in good order,
prerarei a shelter for the time OF coming
cold and want OF food. They did not just
pass into . state of torpOr indifferently
wherever they might be, but selected
some special local. y under leaves and
stones, or some safe protection, or formed
a cell, or in some way supplied themselves
with shelter and here they-oF such OF
them as hybernate-passed into q quiet,
motioulrss state, the animal functions de-
c,4asing in power with the increase OF colds
Still. if even totally frozen SO that they
could be broken like sticks, many Kinds OF
c~aterpillars were not Injured so long as
the freezing took place IN tho shelters they
had made Tor themselves. The true rene
DIV here was for farmers to cultivate the
land in the autumn, and throw them out
of their cells and lay them open to drying
winds and frost and thaw and W t. This
would effectually kill them. So tar as
the egg-laying is concerned, Miss Crmerod
nointed out that the laying places-rank
grasses and weeds-should be destroyed.
Timing and chemical manures and sheep
t.Ia;no ware all snre means of destroying