2l8 



BRITISH AND EUROPE AX BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. 



Fore wings shining violet-grey, with a dark 

 central area, blackish brown in the marginal 

 half, with a broad angle projecting considerably 

 at nerviire 3, a few black transverse lines and 

 two central dots, bounded on both sides by 

 fine transverse lines, one of which is some- 

 times yellow. The apices are divided by a dark 

 line and there is an indistinct submarginal 

 line. The marginal line is formed of oblique 

 streaks. The fringes are banded. Hind wings 

 pale brownish grey with a posterior transverse 

 band composed of several transverse lines, 

 projecting outwards considerably on nervure 3. 

 Marginal area darker than the fore wings 

 but similarly marked. It is found in Central 

 and Southern Europe in Summer. The larva 

 varies from grey to blackish with dark speckles, 

 longitudinal lines, short hairs on black warts, 

 and a light lateral line between the black 

 spiracles and the legs. It feeds on broom. 

 The pupa is dark j'ellowish brown dotted 

 with darker, with light incisions in the middle 

 of the abdomen, a brown tail and two crooked 

 terminal spines surrounded by small hairs. 



O. bipunctaria, W. V. The Chalk Carpet 

 is very variable, both in colour and markings. 

 Fore wings reddish ashy grey, strongly waved, 

 with a brown zigzag central area, curved 

 towards the hind margin, containing a double 

 central spot. The central area is bounded on 

 each side by two light transverse waved bands, 

 sometimes dark, with an indistinct dark line 

 through the apex, and a somewhat faint. curved 

 submarginal line shaded with darker towards 

 the base. The marginal line is composed of 

 dark spots, closer together on the nervures. 

 The fringes are banded and somewhat waved. 

 The hind wings are paler, rather darker to- 

 wards the hind margins, with a very indistinct 

 posterior transverse line. The marginal line 

 and fringes are as on the fore wings. It is 

 found in woods and meadows in some parts of 

 Central and Southern Europe in Summer. 

 The larva is clay-colour with dark longitudinal 

 lines and black hairy warts. It feeds on various 

 low plants. 



Genus l\!lesotype, Hiibn. 



Small moths with wings of the same shape 

 as in the last genus, but differing in the follow- 

 ing characters: — The front is vertical, the palpi 



drooping and the antennae are shortly ciliated 

 in the males. Fore wings with a small un- 

 divided appendicular cell, from the tip of which 

 nervures 8 and 11 rise; 9 and 10 rise one 

 behind the other from 8; 3 and 4 rise almost 

 in a point from the lower angle of the dis- 

 coidal cell; 6 and 7 by a very long stalk from 

 the upper angle. Nervures 3 and 4 of the 

 hind wings are widely separated, 6 and 7 are 

 stalked. The transverse nervure is angularly 

 interrupted on the inner side, and the lower 

 angle of the discoidal cell is longer than the 

 upper. The only species is: — 



M. virgata, Hufn. The Oblique-striped 

 Moth. This is pale ashy grey; fore wings with 

 a dark base, the dark central band finely edged 

 with white on the sides remote from one an- 

 other, almost uniformh' broad, and marked with 

 dark yellowish-brown transverse stripes on the 

 borders. There is a central spot and a dark 

 line dividing the apex, a similar marginal line 

 and darklj^ banded fringes. Hind wdngs some- 

 what paler, with a light posterior transverse 

 band and an indistinct submarginal line. The 

 marginal line and fringes are as on the fore 

 wings. It is local throughout Europe in April 

 and May, and again in Jul3^ The larva is 

 slender, reddish brown with dark incisions 

 and a broad light yellow lateral line above the 

 legs. It feeds on Galium. The pupa is dark 

 brown, thickened in front and tapering to a 

 point behind. 



Genus Minoa, Boisd. 



Small delicate moths, without markings, 

 finely scaled, with the wdngs shaped as in 

 Lythria. The front is vertical, the palpi very 

 slender, drooping and not projecting beyond 

 the front ; proboscis spiral. Antennae setiform, 

 and very shortly ciliated in the males. Fore 

 wings with a divided appendicular cell, from 

 the tip of which rises 7, 8 rises from 7, and 

 II from the costa; 9 and 10 rise one behind 

 the other from 8. The rest of the nervures are 

 as in Lythria. The only species is: — 



M. murinata, Scop. The Drab Geometer. 

 This varies in colour from red to yellowish 

 grey (var. monochroaria, Herr.-Schaff. and 

 var. cinerearia, Boisd.), with a silky shine 

 but no markings. It is common in Central 

 and Southern Europe in May and June, and 



