6o 



PKITISH AXD ECROPEAX BCTTERFLIES AXD MOTHS. 



called caterpillars' nests — must be destroyed in 

 the Spring, otherwise the caterpillars ma)' 

 prove very destructive. 



P. auriflua, W. V. The Gold-tail Moth. 

 Pi. XIX. fig. I. Larva la. The fore wings 

 have a brownish spot near the anal angle, and 

 the anal tuft is golden-yellow. This is also 

 a very common species, but is less destructive. 

 It is found in woods and gardens in July and 

 August. The larva hibernates singly, and 

 feeds on various trees in the Spring. The pupa 

 is dark brown, with a sharp spine at the 

 extremity. It is enclosed in a thin brownish 

 cocoon. 



Genus Psilura, Steph. 



Wings with the neuration as in Porthesia. 

 Fore wings with a black median nervure and 

 white fringes. Antenna bipectinated, most 

 strongly in the male. The abdomen has a strong 

 ovipositor in the female. The hind tibiae with 

 two pairs of spines. 



P. monacha, Linn. The Black Arches. 

 Female PI. XIX. fig. 2. Larva 2a. Pupa 2b. is 

 local in England, but commoner on the Con- 

 tinent, where it sometimes appears in enormous 

 numbers, and is very destructive. The larva 

 feeds on fruit and other trees in May and June, 

 but especially on pine trees. Var. eremita, 

 Ochs. which is of a dark brown colour, is 

 found occasionally with the type. 



Genus Ocneria, Herr-Schiiff. 



Fore wings without an appendicular cell. 

 Nervures 8 and g of the fore wings form a 

 stalk from 7. Nervures 3 and 4 of the hind 

 wings are wide apart at their origin, and 6 

 and 7 are stalked. The females are distinctl}- 

 larger than the males. The larvae have a large 

 head and large raised stellate warts covered 

 with long hair. They feed on trees. 



O. dispar, Linn. The Gipsy Moth. Female 

 PI. XIX. fig. 3. Larva 3a. The male, which 

 is smaller than the female, is brown, with 

 black lines and a slender body, and much 

 resembles a Geometer in appearance. The 

 male flies by day, and the female may be seen 

 sitting on the trunks of trees, etc. It is common 

 in most parts of Europe, but is almost extinct 

 in England, and appears in August and Sep- 

 tember. The eggs are placed under a thick 



brownish yellow covering of wool. The larva 

 feeds on fruit trees, and is often very destructive 

 on the Continent. It also lives on oaks, 

 remaining hidden in the interstices of the bark 

 during the daytime. The pupa is dull dark- 

 brown, with j-ellowish tufts, and has a few 

 threads spun round it. 



O. detrita, Esp. is brownish grey, the fore 

 wings with an indistinct dark central lunule, 

 and a similar transverse stripe beyond it. It 

 is found in June and July in Northern Germany 

 and Austria, but is local. The larva is white 

 on the back, with two black warts on segment 

 5, and a cinnabar-red one on segments 10 and 

 II. It is blue on the sides, edged below with 

 black. There are black warts ringed with 

 white, and covered with dark hair, and a 

 vermilion wart with grey hair on a pale blue 

 base on each segment above the legs. It 

 hibernates and feeds on oak scrub in May 

 and June. 



O. rubea, W. \'. The wings are thinly 

 scaled, reddish grey, with darker margins. 

 Fore Avings with two dark transverse lines, 

 the anterior of which is double, the posterior 

 single, and a white central lunule. Hind wings 

 with a darker submarginal and posterior trans- 

 verse line. Tlie markings of the female are 

 less distinct. The antennse are bipectinated, 

 most deeply in the male. The moth appears 

 in June and July, and is found in Southern 

 Europe. The larva is reddish j-ellow, with 

 fine transverse lines, two fine black dorsal 

 lines, and yellowish, slightly hairy \varts. It 

 feeds on low oak scrub in May. The pupa 

 is dark brown, thickly covered \vith yellowish 

 hair, and rests in a fine cocoon. 



fa:mily 

 B O M B Y C I D JE. 



Large or middle-sized moths. The fore wings 

 with twelve nervures, the hind wings with eight 

 nervures. There is an appendicular cell, but 

 no frenulum. The antennae are bipectinated in 

 the males, and have usually only short serrsftions, 

 which are straight or curved in the females. 

 The abdomen is thickly covered with hair. 

 The males fly swiftly in the daytime, and rest 

 with their wings sloping. The larva have 

 sixteen legs and soft hair or fur. The pupa 

 are short and thick, with a dense cocoon. 



