86 



BRITISH AXD EUROPE AX BUTTERFLIES AXD MOTHS. 



angle. Nervures 3 and 4 and 6 and 7 rise 

 from a single point. Palpi short, obliquely 

 raised, with coarse hair, the middle joint being 

 large and stout, and the end joint smaller. 

 The antennas are shortly ciliated. 



M. orion, Esp. The Scarce Marveil-du- 

 Jour. PI. XXIV. fig. 3. This pretty moth is 

 fairly common in Central and Northern Europe 

 on the trunks of trees growing in woods. In 

 England it is scarce and almost confined to 

 the South Coast. It is on the wing in May 

 and June. The larva is black, with three 

 large round yellow dorsal spots, on the third, 

 fifth, and eighth segments respectively, and 

 numerous small red warts covered with yellow 

 hair. It lives on oak, beech, and birch from 

 July to September. When young it is gre- 

 garious. 



Genus Diphthera, Ochs. 



Fore wings yellow, with black markings, 

 and distinct double transverse lines, submarginal 

 lines, and two stigmata. Fringes chequered. 

 Nervures 7 and 10 rise from the appendicular 

 cell, 8 and 9 from 7. Hind wings without 

 markings. Nervures 3 and 4, and 6 and 7 rise 

 from a point. The palpi are short, and densely 

 hairy on the under side, with the terminal 

 joint smooth and truncated. The antennae are 

 slightly ciliated. The abdomen is spotted with 

 black. The only species is : — 



D. ludifica, Linn. Fore wings greenish 

 yellow, with black markings, with two double 

 transverse lines and a third composed of irre- 

 gular spots, made more distinct by contrast 

 with the white black-ringed stigmata, and with 

 a submarginal line partially connected with 

 the posterior transverse line. Hind wings 

 dark grey, with darker nervures, an indistinct 

 lunule, and uniform broad yellow inner mar- 

 gins. The male is paler than the female. 

 The head and thorax are like the fore wings, 

 with a few spots on the collar. The hinder 

 part of the meso-thorax and the insertion 

 of the tegulffi are black. The abdomen is 

 yellow, with one row of lilack dots above, 

 and two rows, on a white ground, below. 

 The antenna; are black, ringed with white to- 

 wards the basal half. It is local in Central 

 Europe, except the North-West. The larva 

 resembles that of O. dispay. It is black in front, 



with long, light yellow hair, white above the 

 legs, with long whitish hair. It has three 

 orange dorsal stripes, a tawny wart on each 

 segment, and yellow dashes on the back. 

 There are two yellowish spots in front, and 

 further back two white ones; and a white 

 heart-shaped spot near the extremity. It lives 

 in September and October on Sorbiis and on 

 fruit trees. The pupa is brown, with yellow 

 rings, and is dusted with white, and enclosed 

 in a white pear-shaped cocoon between leaves. 



Genus Panthea, Hubn. 



Fore wings long, slightly rounded, with 

 distinct transverse lines, stigmata, and a sub- 

 marginal line. Hind wings with a faint spot 

 at the anal angle. Palpi very small. Antennae 

 shortly pectinated in the male, setiform in the 

 female. Abdomen not tufted, black above. 

 The only species is: — 



P. coenobita, Esp. PI. XXI\'. fig. 4. This 

 moth is local in Central Europe, except the 

 North-\\'est, in June and July. The larva is 

 covered with dark blue hair, the front segments 

 being bordered with red and the hinder ones 

 with yellow, and there is a yellow dorsal stripe. 

 On the fifth and twelfth segments are two elong- 

 ated hairy tubercles. On the others are smaller 

 tubercles. There is a blue-black lateral line 

 edged with red, and yellowish undulating lines 

 above the legs. It feeds on pine and fir. The 

 pupa is formed at the foot of trees in a firm 

 cocoon. 



FAMILY 



A G R O T I D .^. 



This is a very large family, consisting for 

 the most part of middle-sized moths. The pro- 

 boscis is long and stout, and the palpi project 

 more or less forwards and somewhat upwards 

 on the front. They are thickly hairy, with a 

 short terminal joint, sloping forward, and 

 covered with depressed scales. The antennae 

 are stout, setiform in the males, ciliated re- 

 gularly or in tufts, or serrated. The thorax 

 is without a crest, and the abdomen without 

 tufts. The femora are hairy beneath. The 

 middle and posterior tibiae have small spines. 

 The front tibiae have no horny claw at the end. 

 The fore wings are long, wider towards the 



