TRANSACTIONS BARBERRY CARPET MOTH C . W . PLERCE
DĂœRING the last Century the Wild Barberry (Berberis vulgata) was uprooted when it was discovered that wheat rust was more severe where the plant was plentiful. T h e Barberry Carpet moth (Pareulype berberata Schiff.) which fed exclusively on this plant, became very rare throughout Britain, its only known habitat in Suffolk being in the Bury St. Edmunds area. South states that the species seems to be confined mainly to the Eastern Counties although it has been noted in a few other places. When it became known that the site near Bury St. Edmunds was under threat of development, the Nature Conservancy obtained the agreement of the Forestry Commission to plant a hedge of the wild barberry in one of their plantations, so that the species could be transferred to a place where it had some chance of survival. Although the moth was found quite easily in 1964 and 1965, it did not appear in subsequent years when the writer visited the site to obtain some of the moths with a view to establishing a breeding colony for later release. It was not until 14th August of this year, when looking for the moth with Peter Wright of the Nature Conservancy, that one solitary moth, fortunately a female already impregnated, was taken. There is no reason forsupposing the moth to be less plentiful than in those earlier years. It seems to be found more readily during a day-time visit following a warm, humid, moonless night. The captured moth laid about ten eggs per day up tili 25th August and the occasional one up tili her death on 2nd September. During this time she was kept alive by giving her a päd of cotton wool soaked in a sugary Solution. T h e eggs were laid singly or in twos, generally on the underside of the leaves. Hatching started on 24th August and continued until 4th September. T h e larvae were no more than 1J mm. in length, and did not appear to eat much of the eggshell. Mortality was high in the early stages, at least 80% not lasting more than two days.