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Purple Carrot-Seed Moth (Depressaria depressella This)

(Depressaria depressella). This insect is, along with congeners already mentioned (see Carrot-blossom Moth and Flat-body Moth), at times, hurtful to Carrots and Parsnips grown for seed, inasmuch as the larvae feed, in company, on the flowers, protected under a slight web, spun over the umbels. When full-fed, they burrow into the stalks, and there become pupae. The moths emerge early. The spread of wings is a little over 1/2in. The front wings are reddish-brown, with a bent, pale yellowish band near the hind margin, and a large, pale spot on the inner margin, beyond the middle. The head is pale yellow. The larva is green, with a tinge of red, but has the head and second segment black.

Remedies. The most efficient is hand-picking the infested umbels, and destroying the larvae. The damage done is seldom very serious.