42 



BRITISH AND EUROPEAX BUTTERFLIES AXD MOTHS. 



spots on the back. The palpi are placed hori- 

 zontallj'. The hind margin of the fore wings is 

 as long as the inner margin. 



N. ancilla, Linn. Fore wings greyish 

 yellow, with two elongated whitish semitrans- 

 parent spots on the hind margin and another 

 on the inner margin. In the female there is 

 an additional spot on the costa and on the 

 inner margin. The hind wings are in the 

 male uniform greyish yellow; in the female 

 with brown hind margins and discoidal spot. 

 The abdomen is yellow on the back, with a 

 row of black spots; beneath it is blackish. 

 The moth appears in July and August, and is 

 widely distributed in Central and Southern 

 Europe, but is not generally abundant. The 

 larva is black, with tufts of brown hairs, and 

 yellow dorsal an 1 lateral lines. It feeds in 

 April on lichens j;rowing on oaks, and en moss. 



N. punctata, Fabr. Fore wings brown, 

 with two central white spots and three dots 

 on the hind margin ;. The hind wings yellow, 

 with broad brown hind margins. The abdomen 

 is yellow, with a row of black spots above. 

 It appears in June and July, and inhabits 

 Southern Europe. The larva is brownish and 

 densely hairy. It feeds on lichens in Spring. 



B O M B Y C E S. 



The following are the distinctive characters 

 of this group. The antennae are filiform, often 

 deeply pectinated in the males. The wings 

 are usually broad. The larva; are either smooth 

 or pubescent, and the pupae are formed in 

 variously shaped cocoons. 



FAMILY 



NYCTEOLID.^. 



The position of these moths is somewhat 

 doubtful, some authors placing them among 

 the Nodiitr, whilst others regard them as be- 

 longing to the Bomhyces. They are small moths, 

 mostly flying at night. The bod}' is slender. 

 The tegulae are rounded in front, and hairy. 

 The proboscis is horny, the legs slender, 

 with smootli hairs. The hind wings do not 

 quite reach to the end of the abdomen. The 

 larv£E have fourteen or sixteen legs, and are 

 finely pubescent. They undergo their meta- 

 morphoses in a firm, boat-shaped cocoon. 



Genus Sarrothripa, Curt. 



Antennae simple. Palpi very long. Fore 

 wings with the costa and inner margin strongly 

 arched towards the base, broader behind, with 

 the apex rectangular, and a very short curved 

 hind margin. Hind wings contracted above 

 the middle. The larvae are slender, with six- 

 teen legs, and a few long hairs. They live 

 in leaves which they have spun together. 



S. undulana, Hiibn. The Large Brown 

 is very variable both in colour and markings. 

 It is grey or brown, varied with lighter or 

 darker, with two fine double transverse lines 

 on the fore wings, and a central spot surrounded 

 by lighter. The transverse lines are much 

 waved, fine, black, and sharp; the anterior is 

 almost straight, the posterior curved round 

 the central spot; the subterminal line is in- 

 distinct and whitish, suffused with blackish 

 towards the base. Sometimes there is a thick 

 black basal streak in cell i b. It feeds on 

 Salix and oak in June. The larva is green, 

 with yellowish incisions and lateral lines. It 

 feeds on Snlix and oak in June. 



Genus Earias, Hiibn. 



Fore wings broad and triangular, with a 

 strongly arched costa and a straight, slightly 

 oblique hind margin. The colour is green. 

 The hind wings are rounded, and almost reach 

 to the end of the abdomen. The palpi are 

 smoothly scaled. The larvae taper towards the 

 tail, and feed on the leaves of willows and 

 poplars, which they spin together. 



E. vernana, Hiibn. has the fore wings light 

 green, with two dark transverse lines, which 

 converge on the costa and hind margin. Tlie 

 hind wings and body are white. It is found 

 in j\Iay in woods and meadows, jirincipally 

 in Eastern Europe. The larva feeds on Popitlus 

 alba in the Autunm. 



E. chlorana, Linn. The Cream-bordered 

 Green Pea. Fore wings green; hind wings 

 and abdomen white. The costa of the fore 

 wings is also broadly white. It has an ex- 

 tended range throughout a great part of Europe, 

 and is common in meadows in May and again 

 in the Autumn. The larva is double-brooded, 

 and lives in the leaves of willows, which it 

 spins together. 



