BRITISH AXD EUROPEAN BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. 



151 



passes into the pupa state between leaves 

 which it has spun together. 



FAMILY 

 X Y L I N I D ^. 



Antennae closely ciliated in the males; 

 palpi pubescent, small and prominent; thorax 

 and pectus broad, the latter convex and thickly 

 covered with wool; legs comparatively short. 

 The fore wings are very long, slender, obtuse 

 and of uniform width. The dark longitudinal 

 branch at the base and the submarginal line 

 which is often marked on the inner side with 

 sagittate streaks or dark spots or interrupted 

 in the form of a W, as well as the colour give 

 the moths the appearance of polished stones. 

 The hind wings are small. The larvae are 

 smooth and cyhndrical, with sixteen legs, and 

 undergo their metamorphoses in the ground. 

 The moths rest during the day on planks, 

 tree-trunks and rocks. 



Genus Xylina, Ochs. 



The thorax has, at least in front, the form 

 of a shield, since the outer edges of the tegulae 

 project sharply above the anterior margin and 

 the expanded halves of the collar form a trian- 

 gular point in front. The thorax is tufted. 

 The fore wings are very long and narrow, 

 of nearly uniform width, with obtuse apices, 

 and usually with splinter -like longitudinal 

 streaks, which render the usual iVof/zw-pattern 

 more indistinct. The abdomen is almost of 

 uniform breadth, distinctly flattened in the 

 males, with elongated tufts of hair on the 

 sides, a truncated anal tuft and often dorsal 

 tufts. The hind wings are uniform grey with- 

 out markings and the front tibiae are without 

 bristles. The moths fly in the end of Summer 

 and in Autumn, and hibernate singly. The 

 larvae are smooth and round and live on various 

 trees, during the day-time. They pass into the 

 pupa state in the ground. 



X. semibrunnea, Haw. The Tawny 

 Pinion closely resembles the next species, 

 but is distinguished by the following points: 

 The fore wings though of the same length 

 are narrower, the reniform stigma and the 

 longitudinal streak behind it in cell 5 are rusty 

 yellow and in the marginal half of cell ib. is 



an intense black longitudinal stripe. The ab- 

 domen has a row of dark brown tufts of hair 

 on all the joints. It is found in Central and 

 Western Europe in August and September. 

 The larva is green with a white lateral stripe 

 and a yellow one above the legs. It feeds on 

 Ligustrum vulgare in May and June. 



X. socia, Hufn. The Pale Pinion. Fore 

 wings brownish grey or pale walnut-brown, 

 sometimes rather darker on the inner half. 

 The stigmata are only indicated by pale spots; 

 there is a central shade, and instead of the 

 posterior transverse line two dots on each 

 nervure, whilst the anterior is almost repre- 

 sented by long hooks. The submarginal line, if 

 present, is regularly dentated. The hind wings 

 merge rather into grey, with an indistinct 

 central lunule and lighter fringes. The collar 

 is transversely lined with darker, and the ab- 

 domen is grey. It is found in Central and 

 Southern Europe and is very abundant in 

 the South -West of England and in Ireland. 

 It appears in August and September. The 

 larva is apple-green with a broad white dorsal 

 stripe, a similar lateral line and between them 

 several larger or smaller spots on each seg- 

 ment. The spiracles are white, ringed with 

 black, and the head is bright green. It feeds 

 in May and June on oak, lime, elm and fruit- 

 trees. 



X. furcifera, Hufn. The Conformist. PI. 

 XXVII. fig. I. is found in Central Europe 

 but is rare in the North-West and excessively 

 so in Britain. The larva is slender, and after 

 the last moult brown, lighter on the sides 

 and darker on the back, dotted with white, with 

 a black collar, a row of elongated alternating 

 black and j-ellowish spots on the back, and a 

 yeflowish lateral line interrupted by two elon- 

 gated black spots. The head is nearly grey, 

 dotted with black. It remains hidden during 

 the day and feeds at night on birch, alder and 

 low plants in June and July. 



X. ingrica, Herr-Schaff. resembles the 

 last species but is whitish grey with more 

 distinct transverse and submarginal lines, a 

 smaller and more rounded reniform stigma, 

 which is brownish internally, and there is no 

 reddish tinge beneath. It is found in the Alps 

 and in Northern and Eastern Europe, but is 

 very scarce and local. 



