BRITISH AXD FAJROPEAN BUTTERl-LIES AXD iMOTIIS. 



cslindrical, with dark warts ami a dark head 

 and cervical and anal plates. It li\es till May 

 on the roots of grasses. 



H. lithoxylea, W. V. The Light Arches. 

 Fore wings pale ochre-yellow, rusty brown in 

 the centre, in the central shade and behind 

 the submarginal line. All the usual markings 

 are present but very indistinct ; the most 

 distinct, however, is the posterior transverse 

 line, which is composed of dark curved lines 

 and is sharply pointed posteriorly on the ner- 

 vures. The marginal line forms a \\', and 

 in front of, and behind it is a large rusty 

 brown spot towards the hind margins. The 

 fringes have a rust}' brown spot between each 

 pair of nervures. The hind wings are greyish 

 ochreous with dark nervures, central lunule 

 curved line and marginal line; and between 

 these two last is a shade. The head and 

 thorax are ochre-yellow. It is common in 

 Central Europe in July and August. The larva 

 is bluish gre)', with a black head and cervical 

 plate. It lives in Autumn and Spring on the 

 roots of grasses. 



H. sublustris, Esp. The Reddish Light 

 Arches is very like the last species but smaller. 

 The fore wings are yellowish varied with 

 rusty red, and the hind wings yellowish white 

 with a dark shade in front of the hind margin. 

 It is found in Central Europe, but is not so 

 common as the last species; it agrees with it, 

 however, in its habits and time of appearance. 

 By some Entomologists it is regarded as only 

 a variety of lithoxylea. 



H. sordida, Borkh. The Large Nutmeg 

 ^loth. Fore wings bright grey, shading into 

 flesh-colour, with brownish grey markings, 

 especially in the central area. The transverse 

 lines are more or less distinct, the anterior 

 being zigzag; the central shade is similar. 

 The three stigmata are slightly surrounded 

 with darker; the reniform has two white dots 

 or is white towards the hind margin. The 

 nervures behind the posterior transverse line 

 are darker with a faint row of lighter spots. 

 The submarginal line in front of and behind the 

 W is marked with dark spots on both sides. 

 The marginal line is composed of black cres- 

 cents, and there is a similar row on the fringes, 

 which are intersected by the light nervures. The 

 hind wings are brownish white, darker on the 



nervures, the central lunule and the banded 

 hind margins, with a lighter streak near the 

 anal angle in front of the marginal line. The 

 head and thorax are grey, the collar with a 

 black transverse line through the middle, and 

 the abdomen somewhat lighter. The antenna; 

 are ciliated in the male. The moth is common 

 in Central Europe in June and July. The cater- 

 pillar tapers at both ends, and is light brown 

 with a faint darker dorsal and lateral line. 

 Between these on each segment are several 

 black dots, and below the last are some oblique 

 black streaks, pointing backwards. The head, 

 cervical plate and anal fold are dark brown. It 

 feeds on the roots of grasses in March and April. 



H. basilinea, W. V. The Rustic Shoulder- 

 knot. Fore wings pale brown, sometimes 

 slightly suffused with grey, more rusty brown 

 on the costa, with a black streak from the 

 middle of the base. The two transverse lines 

 are darklj' bordered on both sides; there is a 

 rusty brown zigzag central shade, and a similar 

 submarginal line, lighter on the outer side. The 

 three stigmata, of which the orbicular and 

 reniform are large, and the latter pale, are 

 ringed with white. The hinder angle is black- 

 ish and is intersected by white nervures. The 

 marginal line is composed of black lunules 

 between the nervures. The fringes are banded 

 with darker. The hind wings are shining 

 yellowish brown, darker towards the hind 

 margins and on the nervures, with a central 

 lunule and a dark band through the fringes, 

 which are yellowish. The head and thorax 

 are brown, and the abdomen yellowish brown, 

 with dark tufts of hair on the back and a 

 large anal tuft in the male. It appears in 

 May and June and is common in Central and 

 Northern Europe. The larva is cylindrical, 

 somewhat more pointed behind, greyish brown 

 with three yellowish white dorsal lines reach- 

 ing over the shining cervical plate, of which 

 the central one is sharply edged with darker, 

 and the outer ones paler. On the sides is a 

 pale yellow stripe, edged above with darker, 

 which encloses the black spiracles. The head 

 is light brown, the cervical and anal plates 

 with single brown hairs. It hibernates, and is 

 found in Spring on grass {Elymus), etc. 



H. rurea, Fabr. The Cloud -bordered 

 Brindle. Fore wings wainscot-brown or light 



