BRrnSII AND EUROPEAN BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. 



199 



Genus Venilia, Dup. 



Middle-sized, slender moths with broad 

 wings. Fore wings pointed and convex in the 

 middle of the hind margins; hind wings 

 rounded, and somewhat contracted between 

 nervures 4 and 6. Nervure 4 of the fore wings 

 rises from the lower, 6 from the upper angle 

 of the discoidal cell; 7 is separate, and is 

 next to 6; 8 and 9 have a long stem from 7; 

 10 is next to 7, and 11 and 12 touch one 

 another. Nervure la of the hind wings runs 

 into the middle of the inner margin, ib into 

 the hind margin, 3 and 4, 6 and 7 are sepa- 

 rate; 5 is wanting; 8 rests on the anterior 

 border of the discoidal cell. The head and 

 palpi have bristly hair, the latter projecting 

 over the front. Proboscis spiral. Antennae 

 thick, shortly ciliated in the male, setiform in 

 the female. Hind tibiae with two pairs of 

 long spurs. The only species is: — ■ 



V. macularia, Linn. The Speckled Yellow. 

 PI. XXIX. fig. 14. This is common, especially 

 in mountainous places, throughout the greater 

 part of Europe in May and June. The larva 

 is green with a black dorsal line bordered 

 with white ones. There are white lateral 

 lines and blackish incisions. It lives on Lamium, 

 Sinchys, etc. The reddish-brown pupa is sub- 

 terranean. 



Genus Macaria, Curt. 



Middle-sized, slender moths, with pointed 

 fore wings, with a sickle-shaped notch at the 

 tip in some species. Hind wings more or 

 less angular, with entire fringes. Fore wings 

 grey with four dark spots on the costa; hind 

 wings with a central dot. The males have 

 a small impressed bare spot on the under 

 side of the fore wings, close to the base of 

 nervure i. Nervures 3 and 4 of the fore wings 

 rise in a point from the lower angle of the 

 discoidal cell; 6 and 7 side by side from the 

 upper angle, 8 and 9 by a stem from 7; 10 

 from the front margin of the discoidal cell 

 and touching 8, g and 11; 8 is free at the 

 base. Palpi with a short, obtuse terminal 

 joint, slightly projecting over the front. Pro- 

 boscis spiral. Antennae with short ciliated 

 serrations in the males, setiform in the females. 

 Hind tibiae with two pairs of spurs. 



M. notata, Linn. The Small Peacock 

 Moth is whitish grey sprinkled with brown. 

 Fore wings with three rather distinct trans- 

 verse lines, forming small brown spots on the 

 costa. There is a large brown spot on the 

 costa, outside the third line, and another, 

 broken up into several smaller ones, on the 

 middle of the line. The sickle-shaped notch 

 on the fringes and the two spots below it are 

 brown. Hind wings with only two transverse 

 lines, corresponding to the two outer ones of 

 the fore wings, a central dot, a sharply pro- 

 jecting nervure 4 and a dark marginal line. It 

 is common and widely distributed throughout 

 Europe in May and July. The larva is thick- 

 ened behind the head, is yellowish green, 

 brown in the incisions, with an interrupted 

 brown dorsal line. It lives on oak, willow, 

 alder, etc., in August and September. The 

 pupa is brown and has a slight cocoon between 

 leaves or on the ground. 



M. alternaria, Hubn. The Sharp-angled 

 Peacock closely resembles the last species, 

 but is darker grey with indistinct transverse 

 lines, a distinct darker band behind the 

 third transverse line on which are placed the 

 spots of the fore wings, and a dark marginal 

 line only between the nervures of the hind 

 wings. It is widely distributed in Europe 

 throughout the Summer. The larva is uniform 

 brown and lives on various bushes; The pupa 

 is reddish brown with green wing-cases. It 

 is enclosed between leaves which it has spun 

 together. 



M. signaria, Hubn. Fore wings with the 

 tip scarcely projecting; hind wings with a slight 

 angle at nervure 4. Fore wings greyish white 

 sprinkled with brown, with rather distinct 

 transverse lines thickened in front, two large 

 spots behind the posterior, which, as in alter- 

 naria, are shaded with darker towards the hind 

 margin, a Hght distinct submarginal line, sharp 

 black lunules in place of the marginal line 

 and darkly chequered fringes. On the hind 

 wings the first transverse line and the dark 

 spots are wanting, otherwise the pattern is as 

 on the fore wings. It is found in Central 

 Europe, except the West, in May and in July 

 and August. The pupa is green with fine 

 white longitudinal lines and a reddish brown 

 head. It lives on fir-trees in Autumn. 



