144 CARADRININA [acronycta 



12. A. menyanthidis, View, {salicis, Curt.) 33-37 mm. 

 Forcwiugs fuscou;^, almost wholly suftused with grey-whitish, 

 somewhat sprinkled with dark fuscous ; an irregular blackish 

 median basal streak to first line ; first line indistinctly dark- 

 edged ; median shade obscurely darker ; orbicular and reni- 

 form dark-outlined, sometimes almost obsolete; second line 

 whitish, posteriorly edged with dark fuscous, usually traversed 

 by a short dark fuscous submedian mark ; terminal area some- 

 times darker. Hindwings light fuscous, darker terminally. 



Norfolk and Shropshire to Ross, N. and W. Ireland, local ; 

 N. and C. Europe ; 6. Larva blackish-brown or black ; sub- 

 spiracular line dull reddisli or crimson, sometimes interrupted ; 

 fascicles of pale reddish-brown to black haii's; head black: on 

 Myrica, Calluna, Salix, etc.; 8, 9. 



39. Arsilonchb, Ld. 



Head rough-haired ; eyes glabrous. Antennae in $ minutely 

 ciliated. Palpi rather short, porrected, densely rough-haired. 

 Thorax densely hairy, not crested. Abdomen not crested. 



Limited to include the single species only ; it is closely cor- 

 related with the preceding. 



1. A. albovenosa, Gz. (venosa, Bkh.) 33-37 mm. Forewings 

 whitish-ochreous, sometimes sprinkled with dark fuscous ; in- 

 distinct brownish median, submedian, and dorsal streaks ; 

 sometimes blackish terminal dots. Hindwings white. 



Herts to Norfolk, in marshes, local ; C. and SE. Europe, N. 

 America ; 6. Larva blackish or dark brown-grey, pale-marbled ; 

 subdorsal and subspiracular lines pale ochreous-yellowish, often 

 reddish-marked ; tubercles on these yellow or orange ; fascicles 

 of pale reddish-brown and black hairs ; head black, streaked 

 with ochi-eous : on reed (Phragmites), Carex, Typha, etc.; 

 8, 9. 



3. PLUSIADAE. 



Ocelli usually distinct. Tongue well-developed. Posterior 

 tibiae with all spurs present. Forewings : 7 and 8 usually out 

 of 9, 10 usually connected with 9. Hindwings : 3 and 4 

 connate or short-stalked, 5 well-developed, G and 7 connate or 

 short-stalked or seldoui closely approximated only, 8 shortly 

 anastomosing with cell near base, thence evenly diverging. 



This family is by no means very prominent in temperate 

 regions, but within the tropics it assimies immense propor- 

 tions and is there probably the most abundant family of 



