212 



BRinSH AXD EUROPEAN BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. 



E. atomaria, Linn. Tlie Common Heath. 

 This is dirt)' ochre-yellow, whitish in the 

 female, with dark specks and irregular trans- 

 verse spots more or less arranged in bands, 

 four on the fore wings and two on the hind 

 wings. There is a central spot on the fore 

 wings, which is directed obliquely towards the 

 hinder angle, a sharply defined dark marginal 

 line and fringes which are dark on the nervures. 

 It is common in Europe throughout the Sum- 

 mer, flying in meadows. The larva is light 

 brown with a dark dorsal line, triangular spots 

 of the same colour on the sides, a light lateral 

 line above the legs spotted with darker, and 

 black-edged spiracles. It feeds on various low 

 plants. The pupa is brown, tapering behind, 

 and forms an earthy cocoon. 



Genus Bupalus, Leach. 



Middle-sized moths, with the two sexes 

 very differently coloured and marked. The 

 males are slender and the females stout. The 

 wings are expanded, with rounded apices, finely 

 scaled; the fore wings somewhat e.xcavated at 

 the costa, with convex hind margins, and with 

 a bare groove at the base on the imder side 

 in the males. Body, legs and palpi with 

 smooth hair, the latter short and slender. Pro- 

 boscis spiral. Antennae in the male plumose, 

 with long ciliated pectinations, reaching to the 

 tip, ciliated in the female. Hind tibiag with 

 two pairs of spurs. Nervures 3 and 4 of the 

 fore wings rise from a point, 6 and 7 are 

 separate; 8 and 9 have a stalk from 7, 10 rises 

 close to 7 and is connected with 11 by a short 

 oblique branch close to its origin. Nervures 

 3 and 4, and 6 and 7 of the hind wings are 

 separate; 5 is very slender. The moths hold 

 their wings upright when at rest. The only 

 species is: — 



B. piniarius, Linn. The Bordered White. 

 PI. XXX. fig. 5 (male). The female is dirty 

 ochre-yellow and varies much in its markings. 

 The moth is common in fiir woods in most 

 parts of Europe in May and June. The larva 

 is green with a white dorsal and yellow lateral 

 line and another above the legs. It feeds on 

 fir and pine. The pupa is shining light brown 

 with greenish wing-cases and a conical bifid 

 extremity. It hibernates under moss at the 

 foot of the trees. 



Genus Selidosema, Habn. 



This agrees with the last genus in size, 

 shape of the wings, arrangement of the scales, 

 and in general appearance, but is distinguished 

 by the following characters: — The antennae 

 are bare at the tips in the males; the palpi 

 are stronger, thickly scaled, and project hori- 

 zontally over the front. The wings and fringes 

 are shining, the latter broad and without 

 markings, those of the hind wings slightly 

 waved. The arrangement of the nervures is as 

 in Boarmia, and there is a bare groove at the 

 base of the fore wings in the males. The 

 wings are kept flat when at rest and not closed. 

 The only British species is: — 



S. ericetaria, ViU. The Bordered Grey. 

 PI. XXX. fig. 6. is grey, thickly sprinkled 

 with brown, darkest in the marginal area, 

 w^ith three indistinct transverse lines, often 

 only indicated by dark spots on the costa. 

 The central spot of the fore wings is covered 

 by the middle transverse line. Hind wings 

 with a central dot. The female is much rarer 

 than the male, smaller and yellowish brown 

 with narrower wings. All the wings are dull 

 yellow beneath, heavily dusted with darker, 

 and with a dark marginal band. It is found 

 throughout the greater part of Central and 

 Eastern Europe in July. The larva is ashy 

 grey with a light -coloured head streaked 

 with brown and white incisions. It feeds on 

 low plants such as Dorycnium pciitaphyUum, 

 clover, etc. 



Genus Halia, Dup. 



Middle-sized, slender moths, with short, 

 broad wings, the fore wings obtusely tipped, 

 with the hinder angle rounded, and a long 

 inner margin, in consequence of which the 

 hind margin is nearly straight. The hind 

 wings are rounded. In the males there is a 

 small bare groove at the base of the fore wings 

 beneath. The palpi project beyond the front ; 

 they are raised with a short obtuse terminal 

 segment. Proboscis spiral. The antennae of 

 the males are shortly and strongly pectinated, 

 serrated at the tips. In the females they are 

 serrated. The body and legs are clothed with 

 smooth hair and the posterior tibiae have two 

 pairs of spines. Nervures 3 and 4, and 6 and 

 7 of the fore wings are separate; S and 9 rise 



