BRITISH AND EUROPEAN BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. 



119 



sharply defined large central lunule of the 

 hind wings, which is particularly distinct on the 

 under side. It is widelj' distributed in Central 

 Europe from May to Jul}', but is scarce. The 

 larva is reddish grey, with two black dots on 

 each segment between the white dorsal and 

 lateral line. It hibernates, and lives in Spring 

 on Phalaris arundinacea and other grasses. 



H. didyma, Esp. The Common Rustic, 

 varies from rusty brown to dark brown. The 

 central area is darkest, and the whole of the 

 inner margin of the wings is often lighter 

 than the rest. The two transverse lines are 

 black, and the three stigmata are surrounded 

 with black, the reniform being white. The 

 variety leucostigma, Esp. has the orbicular 

 stigma dark, and the claviform stigma distinct 

 and obtuse. The submarginal line is somewhat 

 lighter than the ground colour, slightly zigzag, 

 with a lateral curve from nervures 2 to 5. 

 The marginal line is formed of a string of 

 black crescent-shaped spots. The fringes are 

 banded with darker, and hairy at the tips. 

 Tlie hind wings are light or dark grey with 

 yellowish fringes, banded with darker. The 

 head and thorax are coloured like the fore 

 wings, and the abdomen has dark tufts of 

 hair on the back. The antennje are setiform. 

 It is ver}' common in Central and Northern 

 Europe in July and August. The larva is 

 green, with a rose-coloured dorsal stripe and 

 yellowish lateral line. It feeds at the roots 

 of grasses till Ma\'. 



H. connexa, Borkh. The Union Rustic. 

 Fore wings ashy grey, somewhat brownish in 

 the basal and marginal area, with the central 

 area from the inner margin to the deep 

 black claviform stigma blackish. The two 

 transverse lines are closely approximated be- 

 hind the stigmata. The hind wings are dark 

 ashy grey with yellowish fringes. The head 

 and thorax are coloured like the fore wings, 

 and the collar and tegulae are edged with dark 

 brown. The abdomen is grey. The moth is 

 found in the Northern parts of Central Europe, 

 but is not common. It appears in June and 

 July. The caterpillar is blackish, lighter above 

 with a light dorsal line. It hibernates, and 

 lives till April on grasses. 



H. ophiogramma, Esp. The Double-lobed 

 Moth. Fore wings yellowish brown in the 



marginal area, walnut-brown in the central 

 area from the deep black claviform stigma 

 forwards, and on the costa as far as the base; 

 the rest of the wings is yellowish grey divided 

 by a white line. The transverse lines are 

 distinct. The orbicular stigma is edged with 

 lighter and the reniform is yellow towards the 

 hind margin. The indistinct submarginal line 

 is edged with rusty brown towards the base, 

 and has an oblique grey spot towards the 

 hind margins in cell ib, and 4 to 6. The 

 marginal line is present as a black curve. 

 The hind wings are yellowish grey, somewhat 

 darker towards the hind margins with a central 

 lunule. The head and thorax are yellowish 

 grey with a dark hind margin to the collar. 

 The abdomen is yellowish grey with tufts of 

 hair on the back. The antennas are finely 

 serrated in the male. It appears in June and 

 July, and is common in Central Europe. The 

 larva is dirty flesh-coloured, with four small 

 punctiform warts on each segment. It feeds 

 on the stems of Iris and Glycerin, etc., till May. 



H. literosa. Haw. The Rosy Minor. Fore 

 wings reddish grey, with dark transverse lines 

 and brown stigmata. The hind wings are 

 brownish grey with yellowish fringes. This 

 small moth appears from June to August, and 

 is common in most parts of Central Europe, 

 though rare in France. The larva is yellow 

 or greenish yellow, with a broad reddish double 

 dorsal line or grey dorsal and lateral lines. 

 It lives at first on the root, afterwards on the 

 shoots of Elvinns arenarius. 



H. strigilis, Linn.. The Marbled Minor, 

 varies considerably in colour and markings. 

 The fore wings are black with a broad white 

 marginal band. The variety latruncula, 

 Htibn. is lighter, generally reddish, with the 

 markings as far as the black-margined stig- 

 mata quite distinct. The variety aethiops, 

 Haw. has the fore wings black, with a rusty 

 red lustre in the basal and marginal areas as 

 far as the suffused line. The head and thorax 

 are black, and the abdomen greyish brown. 

 The antennae are finely serrated in the male. 

 It is common in Central and Northern Europe 

 in July and August. The larva is brownish 

 yellow with whitish longitudinal lines. The 

 head and cervical plate are dark yellow. It 

 lives on grasses in May. 



