170 



BRITISH AXD EUROPEAN BUTTERFLIES AXD MOTHS. 



E. venustula, Hubn. The Rosy Marbled 

 Moth. Fore wings white marbled with brown, 

 and varied with violet-grey and rosy red, the 

 costal half and the basal third of the inner 

 margin being hghtest. All three stigmata are 

 bordered with white, the orbicular and reni- 

 form being distinct only on the inner side and 

 merging into the white ground colour in front; 

 and behind the latter are two or three black 

 dots. The hind wings are whitish brown with 

 a faint central lunule. It is scarce and local 

 in Central Europe in l\Iay and June and is 

 only found in Epping Forest in this country. 

 The larva is dark reddish brown with two 

 broad orange bands and curved lateral lines. 

 It feeds on bramble in Summer. 



E. deceptoria. Scop. Fore wings dark 

 brown, with the basal area, except the greater 

 part of the costal margin, and the suffused 

 band, as well as the submarginal line shining 

 white. There is a triangular space on the 

 costa and one or two slight curves represent- 

 ing the submarginal line. The two transverse 

 lines are only present as the deeply dentated 

 boundary of the central area. The hind wings 

 are ashy grey with a dark central lunule, a 

 similar marginal line and a whitish curved 

 line. The fringes are as on the fore wings. 

 It is common, especially in fir woods, in Cen- 

 tral Europe, except England, Belgium and the 

 Netherlands, and is on the wing in May and 

 June. The larva is light green above, bordered 

 with white, grassy green on the sides with a 

 white band above the legs and a white cervi- 

 cal band. It feeds on grasses in Summer. 



E. fasciana, Linn. The Marble White- 

 spot Moth. Fore wings light and dark brown, 

 marbled with yellowish and white, darkest in 

 the central area, and lightest in the marginal 

 area, especially the inner half. The two trans- 

 verse lines are more or less distinctly double. 

 .Ml three stigmata are bordered with white, 

 the claviform being obtuse and the two others 

 connected by a black longitudinal streak. The 

 submarginal line is white and irregular, with 

 several black longitudinal streaks towards the 

 base in front, and a similar one towards the 

 base in the middle. The marginal line is com- 

 posed of small dark spots. The fringes are 

 brown on their basal half, brown chequered 

 with white on the apical half. The hind wings 



are plain brownish grey with a dark mar- 

 ginal line. On the thorax are several small 

 crests. It is common in Central and Southern 

 Europe in June and July, especially in fir woods, 

 sitting on the stems of the trees or on grass. 

 The larva is yellow with a broad yellow dorsal 

 and fine yellow lateral lines. It feeds on grass 

 and bramble in August and September. 



Genus Phothedes, Led. 



This is distinguished from the last genus 

 only by the coarser, raised scales on the thorax 

 and palpi, and the shorter terminal joint, which 

 is hidden among the scales. The female is 

 smaller with narrower wings. The only spe- 

 cies is: — 



P. captiuncula, Treit. Very variable in 

 colour and markings. Fore wings light yellow- 

 ish, rusty red or dark brown, with yellowish 

 or whitish lines, a black central shade and a 

 black submarginal line. Hind wings light grey, 

 darker towards the hind margin. Fringes light. 

 It is found in damp meadows in the Alpine 

 regions of Central and Eastern Europe and 

 is fond of sitting on leaves in the day-time. 

 Var. expolita, Stainton. The Least Minor. 

 Fore wings greyish brown tinged with reddish, 

 with a dark central band, which is sometimes 

 bounded externally by a sinuous white line. 

 Hind wings smoky grey with whitish fringes. 

 The only English locality is Darlington, but 

 it is also common in Galwa)-, the Irish speci- 

 mens being smaller and more brightly coloured 

 than those taken in England. 



Genus Prothymia, Hiibn. 



Small geometer-like moths with triangular, 

 pointed fore wings, having an appendicular 

 cell from which rise nervures 7, 8 and 10, 

 whilst 9 rises from 8. Nervure 5 of the hind 

 wings is as stout as the others, and 3 and 4 

 are stalked. The fringes are long. The palpi 

 are raised with a long slender terminal joint. 

 The antennae are setiform and strongly ciliated ; 

 the front is square. These moths fly over 

 meadows in the day-time. 



P. viridaria, Cluck. The Small Purple- 

 barred Moth. Fore wings with the basal half, 

 as far as the dark central shade, olive-grey, 

 and the marginal half coppery red, with a pale 

 submarginal line parallel with the central shade. 



