orthosia] CARADRINIDAE 65 



to white spots on 2, 3, 6, and 12; head ochreous-brown : on 

 oak, beech, etc., but often habitually carnivorous, feeding on 

 other larvae of Lepidoptera ; 5, 6. 



11. CONISTRA, Hb. 



Head rongh-haircd ; eyes glabrous, ciliated. Antennae in 

 S ciliated. Palpi hairy throughout. Tliorax with slight 

 anterior crest. Abdomen broad, rather flattened, not crested. 



A small genus of closely allied species, inhabiting tempei'ate 

 regions of the northern hemisphere ; it is correlated with the 

 preceding. The imagos appear in late autumn and hybernate. 



1. Foi'ewings with numerous series of blackish dots 



1. Tuhiijinea. 

 ,, without such series . . .2. 



2. Reniform with three black dots beneath 



2. erythrocepihala. 

 ,, without separate black dots . 3. 



3. P^jrewings dark brown, apex quadrate . 3. iU/ula. 



,, reddish-ochreous, apex obtuse 4. vaccinii. 



1. C. rubiginea, F. 33-36 mm. Forewings ferruginous- 

 yellowish or ferruginous-ochreous, sometimes partly tinged 

 with ferruginous-brown ; subbasal, first, second, and subter- 

 minal lines edged with blackish dots, and two or three 

 additional series of blackish dots ; orbicular and reniform 

 faintly outlined with pale, lower end of reniform blackish. 

 Hindwings rather dark fuscous. 



England to York, E. and S. Ireland, local and luicommon ; 

 N. and G. Europe ; 10-3. Larva pur})lish-brown, clothed with 

 golden-brown hairs; dorsal, subdorsal, and spiracular lines 

 obscurely paler, surrounded by blackish freckles ; a dorsal series 

 of blackish spots : on Taraxacum, Rumex, apple, etc. ; 5, 6. The 

 colouring of the imago is very suggestive of a faded elm-leaf. 



2. 0. erythrocephala, F. 35-39 mm. Head light reddish- 

 ochreous. Forewings greyish-ochreous, more or less mixed or 

 suffused with light red-brown ; subbasal, first, second, and sub- 

 terminal lines palei', darker-edged; orbicular and reniform 

 paler-edged, lower end of reniform marked with two or three 

 black dots; a reddish -brown costal praesubterminal spot. 

 Hindwings fuscous, darker terminally. 



Kent to Devon, local and rare; C. Europe; 10-3. Larva 

 fuscous ; spiracular line whitish : on Galium, Plantaf/o, etc. ; 5. 



3. C. ligula, Esp. {spadicea, Hw., nee Hb.) 29-32 mm. 

 Forewings with apex quadrate ; dark ferruginous-brown, some- 



F 



