52 



BRITISH AXD KCROPEAX BUTTERI-LIES AXD MOTHS. 



the triangular space is dusky and bounded in 

 front by a light line. The hind wings are 

 reddish grey in both sexes. The niotii is 

 widely distributed in Central Europe from 

 July to September. In Britain it is most common 

 in the South and East of England. It flies 

 swiftly at dusk in open places. The caterpillar 

 feeds on the roots of low plants till May. 



H. velleda, Esp. The Beautiful Swift. 

 The fore wings are dark cinnamon-brown in 

 the male, paler in the female. In both sexes 

 there is a broad oblique whitish band, bordered 

 with dark brown, running from the apex to 

 the inner margin. From the upper end of 

 this band rise two branches, running, one to 

 the extreme apex, the other ending on the 

 costa. There are also some pale markings at 

 the base. The hind wings are brownish. The 

 , antennae are short, thick, reddish, and serrated. 

 The head and front of the tliorax are reddish 

 brown. The abdomen is light brown. The 

 moth appears in June and July, and frequents 

 heaths, woods, etc., flying swiftly in the twi- 

 light. It is widely distributed in Central and 

 Northern Europe, and is common in many 

 parts of the British Isles. The caterpillar is 

 shiny white, the anterior segments spotted 

 with yellowish, with a few black and white 

 hairs and black spiracles. It feeds on the 

 roots of various plants, especially the common 

 brake-fern (Pteris aquilina). The chrysalis is 

 reddish brown, with black lines on the 

 sutures. 



H. carnus, Esp. The fore wings are grey, 

 varied with rusty red, with a narrow ashy 

 grey band, edged internally with yellowish, 

 running from the apex to the inner margin, where 

 it bends round and terminates in the middle 

 of the wing, being here edged with a white 

 streak. In front of the hind margin are some 

 greyish white spots between the nervures, which 

 are connected internally. Towards the base 

 are some round dark spots, surrounded with 

 white, and then a row of unequal white spots. 

 The hind wings are ashy grey. The fringes 

 are uniform dusky. This is a scarce Alpine 

 species, v/hich appears in July. 



H. lupulinus, Linn. The Common Swift. 

 The wings are ochre-yellow, with a band com- 

 posed of separate white spots, bounded on both 

 sides with black. This runs from the apex to the 



middle of the inner margin, and bends upwards 

 to the middle of the base. The central area 

 is dark brown, with an elongated white spot. 

 On the hind margin is a row of indistinct 

 light triangular spots. The hind wings are uni- 

 form ochre-yellow suffused with grey. The 

 female is somewhat darker than the male, and 

 has the white markings less distinct. It is 

 common in most parts of Central Europe, 

 including the British Isles. The moth appears 

 in July and August, and flies in meadows at 

 early dusk. When captured or frightened it 

 will feign death. The larva is smooth, greyish 

 white, with small brown warts on each segment, 

 set with short stiff hairs. The head and 

 scutellum are brown. It feeds on the roots 

 of various low plants. The pupa is light 

 brown, with spines on each segment of the 

 abdomen. It is enclosed in a cocoon in the 

 ground. The larva is sometimes destructive 

 to lilies of the valley. 



H. ganna, Hubn. Fore wings rusty brown, 

 with a silvery white band edged on both 

 sides with black, running from the apex to 

 the middle of the inner margin, whence it 

 bends up towards the costa, but ends in a 

 longitudinal streak towards the base. There 

 is another oblique band on the inner margin 

 near the base. There are a few silvery white 

 spots on the costa, and sometimes also on the 

 hind margin. The hind wings are greyish 

 yellow. The antennae are rusty brown , 

 tapering towards the end. The moth is'found 

 in the Swiss Alps and the Tyrol in July and 

 August. 



H. hectus, Linn. The Golden Swift. The 

 fore wings are ochre-j'ellow or brownish grey, 

 with a row of shining silvery white or golden 

 spots, edged with black, extending from the 

 ape.x to the inner margin, which, in the middle, 

 is composed of small spots. On the hind 

 margin there are some similar spots, and on 

 the costa a few dark ones. The hind wings 

 are dark grey, edged with ochre-yellow. It 

 appears in July, and is widely distributed 

 throughout Central Europe, being common 

 in all parts of the United Kingdom. The 

 moths fly in the dusk in open woods or bushy 

 places, often in large numbers. The caterpillar 

 feeds on the roots of grasses and low plants, 

 heath (Callitna vulgaris), etc. 



