BRITISH AXD EUROPEAN BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. 



,37 



male the seventh and in part the second have 

 also a white margin. It is found in Bavaria 

 and the Tyrol in May and June, flying over 

 Helianthcmuni vnlgarc. 



S. leucopsiformis, Esp. is one of the 

 smallest of the Genus. The opaque parts of 

 the fore wings are dark brown in the male 

 and black in the female, with three faint 

 white lines in the broad outer border. The 

 transparent area in the discoidal cell is ver}' 

 short, and the outer space consists of only 

 three cells. The marginal line and nervures 

 of the hind wings are dark brown, the latter 

 being white on the under side. The head is 

 blue-black, with a yellow hind margin; the 

 antennae blue-black, with the basal joint yellow- 

 ish. The collar is shining black, with wliitish 

 scales; the tegulse are black, with the inner 

 side broadly white. The thorax with a narrow 

 white central dorsal line. The abdomen is 

 dark brown in the male, black in the female, 

 the hind margin of the fourth segment white, 

 with a white line along the middle, inter- 

 rupted behind. Anal tuft black, varied with 

 white on the under surface. Femora dark 

 brown, tibije brown, the hind pair white ex- 

 ternally. Tarsi brown. This moth is very 

 local in some parts of Germany, e. g. in the 

 neighbourhood of Berlin, as well as in Austria. 

 The caterpillar feeds in the root of the spurge. 



S. chrysidiformis, Esp. The Fiery Clear- 

 wing. Fore wings with the costa and hind 

 margin black, central band large, inner margin 

 and outer transparent space orange-red. Hind 

 wings bordered with black. Body black, ab- 

 domen with two pale yellow rings. Anal tuft 

 orange-red, with black sides. It is found in 

 Southern and Western Europe, but in England 

 is almost confined to the Kentish coast. It 

 is on the wing in June and Julv. The lar\a 

 feeds in the root of sorrel and dock, and is 

 full-grown in May. 



Genus Bembecia, Hiibn. 



Tliis Genus is represented by only one 

 species in Europe. It is distinguislied from 

 Sesia by the slightly fusiform antenna-, wliich 

 do not terminate in a tuft, and are pectinated in 

 the male, and slightly dentated in the female. 

 The proboscis is short and slender, while the 

 abdomen is thicker than in Sesia, and of uni • 



form thickness tliroughout ; with raised scales 

 on the third segment, and a short broad tuft 

 on the last segment. 



B. hylaeiformis, Lasp. Fore wings grey- 

 ish brown on the margins and across the 

 centre, suffused with bright orange towards 

 the base. On the median nervure is a black 

 transverse spot, and on the inner margin a 

 smaller one. There is a triangular elongated 

 transparent spot in the discoidal cell, and a 

 square spot composed of three smaller ones 

 beyond the first. The hind wings are wholly 

 transparent, with dark brown margins and 

 nervures, and brown fringes. On the under 

 side the fore wings are suffused with golden- 

 yellow at the base and towards the hind 

 margins. The antennae are reddish purple 

 on the outer side. The back of the head 

 is golden-yellow, and there is an oblique 

 golden line at the sides of the thorax before 

 and behind the base of the wings. The 

 abdomen is blue-black, the base of the first 

 and second segments, and the hind margins 

 of the fourth, fifth, and sixth (and the seventh 

 also in the male) yellow. The anal tuft is 

 also yellow in the male, yellowish brown in 

 the female. The legs are orange, the femora 

 and tarsi almost black, and the tibiae with 

 two black rings. The moth is widely distri- 

 buted in Central Europe, but is not found in 

 Britain. It is on the wing from June to August. 

 The larva is whitish, with a brown head. It 

 lives in the roots of raspberries. The pupa 

 is chestnut-brown. 



FAMILY 

 THYRIDID.E. 



All the wings short and broad, with uni- 

 form colours and markings, with the hind 

 margins indented. Fore wings with twelve 

 nervures, and a simple submedian and costal 

 nervure. Hind wings with eight nervures, a 

 simple costal nervure, and two simple inner 

 marginal nervures. No ocelli. Antenna slightly 

 fusiform in the male, almost setiform in the 

 female. Palpi large, prominent, and bristly, 

 the terminal joint nearly bare. Proboscis homy 

 and well-developed. Abdomen with a long 

 anal tuft in the male. These moths fly in 

 the sunshine about umbelliferous flowers. 



