BRITISH AXD EUROPEAX BUTTERFLIES AXD MOTHS. 



the least distinct, are slightly bordered with 

 darker. The marginal area is darker behintl 

 the submarginal line. The margnial line is 

 interrupted, and the fringes are intersected 

 with lighter on the nervures. The hind wings 

 are dirty white, with a dark central lunule 

 and an interrupted marginal line. The head 

 and thorax are yellowish grey and the abdomen 

 lighter. The antennae are serrated and pubes- 

 cent in the male. It is common throughout 

 Central Europe in Autumn. The caterpillar 

 is short and stout, bright flesh-coloured, with 

 a large yellowish brown head, a cervical plate 

 of the same colour, edged with darker, and 

 a few shining plates on the posterior segments. 

 It lives on young shoots and the roots of 

 grasses in May. The pupa is smooth and 

 shining light brown, and rests on the ground 

 without a cocoon. 



A. dumenlii, Dup. Dumeril's Apamea. 

 Fore wings yellowish brown, with a darker 

 central and narrow marginal band. The stig- 

 mata are very distinct and pale yellow, the 

 orbicular being oval and oblique. The sub- 

 marginal line is also pale yellow. The transverse 

 lines are brownish, edged with pale yellow ex- 

 ternally. It is found in Western and South- 

 Eastern Europe, but is rare, and only two 

 captures in PJritain have been recorded, both 

 in the Isle of Portland. 



Genus Aplecta, Boisd. 



These moths have stout wings, a broad 

 thorax and a comparatively slender abdomen, 

 except in prasina. The head and thorax are 

 thickly covered with hair, and there are more 

 or less distinct tufts on the thorax. The 

 antennae are pubescent in the males. The fore 

 wings are oblong and rather pointed at the 

 tips, with oblique hind margins and waved 

 fringes. The NOCTUA-pattern is well-marked, 

 with two transverse lines and large stigmata. 

 The submarginal line is zigzag or straight, 

 with dark sagittate spots, especially in cells ib, 

 4 and 5. The hind wings are large. 



A. prasina, W. V. The Green Arches. 

 PI. XXIV. fig. II. occurs in June and July, 

 and is widely distributed in Central Europe. 

 The larva is light grey with three light dorsal 

 lines, with large confluent dark brown spots 

 between. It hibernates and lives on low plants, 



such as primroses, nettle, etc., in April and 

 May. 



A. occulta, Linn. The Great Brocade. 

 PI. XXIV. fig. 12. is a common species, which 

 is also widely distributed in Europe, appearing 

 from June to August. The larva is dark brown 

 above, with a whitish median line and a yel- 

 lowish longitudinal stripe, on which are elong- 

 ated velvety black spots, the last of which is 

 the broadest. On the sides there is a pale 

 yellow longitudinal stripe spotted with deeper 

 yellow. It feeds from Autumn till May on 

 low plants, especially bilberry. 



A. sincera, Herr-Schaff'. Fore wings grey, 

 hind wings whitish. The fore wings have a 

 waved marginal line, bordered with darker, 

 and large stigmata. On the hind margins is 

 a row of black sagittate spots. It is a rare 

 species, occurring in mountainous districts in 

 Germany and Switzerland, and appears in 



J»iy- 



Genus Luperina, Boisd. 



This genus is closely allied to Apamia. 

 The species have, however, a long stout 

 proboscis, and the abdomen in the females is 

 only slightly stouter than in the males. These 

 moths remain hidden in bushes during the 

 day, with their wings sloping obliquely. They 

 are most common in the South of Europe. The 

 larvae are little known, and also hide them- 

 selves by day. 



L. haworthii, Curt. Haworth's Minor. 

 Fore wings short and broad, with the hind 

 margins straight as far as the median nervure, 

 dark brown, whitish towards the hind margins. 

 Nervures i, 3, and 4 in the central area and 

 the markings, except the claviform stigma, are 

 whitish. The two transverse lines are finely 

 edged with black on the sides, the posterior 

 being indistinct from the fourth nervure. The 

 two stigmata are white with a darker centre 

 the orbicular being small and round; from 

 the posterior inner edge of the claviform 

 stigma, a white forked nervure is continued 

 into the marginal area. The submarginal line 

 is somewhat faint, darkly spotted towards the 

 base, and with a white spot near the tip. 

 The marginal line is composed of black lunules. 

 The fringes are darker in their basal half, 

 and intersected by white nervures. The hind 



