194 



BRITISH AND EUROPEAN BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. 



Southern Europe. The larva has the middle 

 segments somewhat expanded and is light grey 

 or greyish brown with yellow dots on the back 

 and several black longitudinal streaks. It 

 feeds on oak. The pupa is pale yellow with 

 a fine point behind. It has a loose cocoon 

 between leaves. 



E. quercaria, Hiibn. is very like the last 

 species but smaller. The fore wings have two 

 sharp transverse lines bordered with lighter 

 on the sides not opposed to one another. 

 The fringes of all the wings are sulphur-yellow. 

 There are no central dots. It is found in some 

 parts of South-Central Europe from July to 

 September. 



Genus Selenia, Hubn. 



Large moths distinguished from the last 

 genus by their brighter colour, more dentated 

 hind wings, concave at cell 5, the more obtuse 

 palpi and the frontal tuft. Hind tibiae with 

 two pairs of spurs. Nervures 10, 11 and 12 

 are separate. The wings are sprinkled with 

 dusky and have dark fringes finely white 

 between the nervures. The fore wings have 

 two transverse lines, a central shade and a 

 lunule at the apex. 



S. bilunaria, Esp. The Early Thorn is 

 pale yellow, varied with reddish, with whitish 

 spots especially towards the costa of the fore 

 wings. The transverse lines of the fore wings 

 are parallel, the central shade is expanded 

 into spots on the costa, and is in part wanting 

 in the female. The hind wings have an in- 

 distinct central shade, which sometimes contains 

 a lunule. The posterior transverse line is often 

 scarcely indicated. The wings are sprinkled 

 with darker towards the hind margins. The 

 anterior transverse line of the hind wings is 

 sharp and dark. It is double-brooded in June 

 and September and is common in Central and 

 Northern Europe. The larva is tapering in 

 front, with four black humps on segments 9 

 and 10 and two obtuse horizontal anal points. 

 It is light grey, reddish on the back, with a 

 black lateral line above the legs on the first 

 three segments, a white heart-shaped spot on 

 the back of the seventh, a black lateral streak, 

 edged below with white on the eighth, and 

 alternating black and white longitudinal streaks 

 on the succeeding segments. It lives on willow, 



poplar, etc. in Spring and Summer. The pupa 

 is brown with three terminal spines and four 

 booklets, curved inwards. It is placed between 

 leaves of the food plant spun together or on 

 the ground in moss or among leaves. 



S. lunaria, W. V. The Lunar Thorn 

 is pale yellow varied with reddish purple, 

 and spotted with white on the costa of the 

 fore wings. These have the very fine posterior 

 transverse line touching the central shade at 

 the costa. Hind wings strongly dentated, with 

 a double anterior transverse line and a central 

 shade. All the wings have a small transparent 

 central lunule which on the fore wings is 

 situated in the posterior transverse line, and 

 on the hind wings in the anterior double line 

 which forms the continuation of the central 

 shade. It is found in most parts of Europe 

 in June and September but is less abundant 

 than the last species. The larva is reddish 

 brown, clouded with darker, with grey sides 

 and two white parallel streaks on the sides 

 of segment 8. There is a red fleshy projection 

 on segments 9 and 10, which is directed for- 

 wards and is bordered with white. It lives 

 in July on sloe, whitethorn, wild roses, etc. 

 The pupa is brown, resembling that of hiUmaria, 

 and is enclosed between leaves spun together. 

 Var. delunaria, Hiibn. is smaller, more brightly 

 coloured, and not so heavily sprinkled. The 

 hind wings are less dentated. It is commoner 

 than the type. 



S. tetralunaria, Hufn. The Purple Thorn 

 is reddish violet varied with purplish brown, 

 with a lighter marginal area. Fore wings with 

 three dark transverse lines, a central shade 

 partly connected with the posterior transverse 

 line, a large oblique transparent lunule, and 

 generally a dark spot behind it in the marginal 

 area. Hind wings with two transverse lines, 

 sometimes fused into a dark band, with a 

 vertical transparent lunule between and a 

 dark spot behind in the marginal area. It is 

 double-brooded in June and July, and again 

 in September, and is found in Central Europe, 

 but is not common. The larva is brownish 

 grey with dark stripes and spots, with conical 

 hooks on the sixth, and warty elevations on 

 the seventh and eighth segments and a white 

 stripe in front of them. It lives in Spring 

 and Autumn on alder, birch, and oak. The 



