242 COMMON BRITISH MOTHS 



acautha) and various fniit trees; and on tlie twigs of these (espe- 

 cially the hawthorn) the little clusters of eggs inaj' be seen during 

 the winter. 



Family — LEUCANiiDiE 



In this family we have a number of rather small moths, with, 

 generally, no markings on their wings, save, perhaps, a few dots or 

 streaks. 



Their larvte feed principally on grasses and reeds, and change to 

 the chrysalis state either in a cocoon among the food plants, or 

 under the surface of the ground. 



Several of these insects are very common, and most of them 

 abound in fens and marshes. 



The Broiun-line Briglit-eije (Leucania conigera) 



The fore wings are yellowish brown. The ' brown line ' is a 



transverse line parallel with the hind margin, and distant from it 



about one-fourth the length of the wing. Another dark brown line, 



describing a sharp bend, passes across the wing near the base. 



The ' bright eye ' is a light spot just outside the centre of the wing, 



nearer the costa than the inner margin. 



This is another of those marks that 



occur very constantly in the wings of 



the Noduce. It lies beyond the orhi- 



cuJar spot, and is usually somewhat 



kidney-shaped, and is consequently 



named the reniform. 



Fig. 142. — The Brown- The caterpillar is yellowish or grey- 



LTNE Bright-eye. jsh, v/ith a pale dorsal line edged with 



black. On each side of this is a broad 



black line, below which is a yellow line edged with black, then a 



whitish stripe, next a yellow line edged with black on the upper 



side, and lastly a broad brownish line, just above the spiracles, 



edged with black on both sides. It feeds on couch grass {Agro- 



pyron rej^ens) and various other grasses, and is fully grown in 



May. 



The moth flies in July and August, and is connnon throughout 

 the United Kmgdom, 



