172 LEPIDOPTERA. 



Family IV. — Arctiidce. 



Antennae moderately long, often pectinated, at least in the 

 male ; body generally stout ; wings and abdomen brightly coloured ; 

 larvas hairy. 



The Tiger Moths are among the most brightly-coloured of the 

 European Lepidoptera, and are among those which most frequently 

 attract attention ; for several species are easily disturbed by day, 

 and others frequent gardens and weedy places. Many species 

 have dark fore wings, spotted or reticulated with red and yellow, 

 and the hind wings are red or yellow, with black spots. But they 

 are not all brilliantly coloured ; some are white or yellowish, often 

 spotted with black. The three commonest species are the White 

 and Buff Ermines {Spilosoma Menthastri and Luhricipeda, Linn.), and 

 the Tiger Moth {Ardia Caja, Linn.). These insects are common in 

 every garden, where their larvse feed on a variety of plants ; the 

 long-haired reddish caterpillar of the Tiger Moth is often seen 

 among lettuces, etc., or running on paths ; it is frequently called the 

 Woolly Bear. RijjjercomjM Hera, Linn., a rare species in the south of 

 England, though abundant on the Continent, is a day-flying species, 

 and has a very gay appearance on the wing. In the South Euro- 

 pean genus Trichosoma, Eamb., the wings of the female are rudi- 

 mentary ; T.Parasitum, Esp., is a grey species with darker spots. 



We may mention a few foreign genera. Fericopis, Hiibn., and 

 its allies are rather long-winged species, some of wliich resemble 

 Heliconiidce ; they are all natives of America. Thalaina Selencea, 

 Doubl, is of a shining white, with an oblique red stripe bordered 

 with black across the fore wings, and the borders partly red ; 

 towards the hind margin of the hind wings is a blackish spot. 

 It is, however, uncertain whether this species does not rather 

 belong to the Geomefrce. 



Ecpantheria Scribonia, Stoll, is the largest and handsomest 

 species of an extensive American genus. It is white, with many 

 black rings on the thorax and fore wings ; the abdomen is blue, 

 with three rows of yellow spots, and there are some submargiual 

 white spots on the hind wings. This species measures about three 

 inches in expanse. 



Aloa Zadinea, Cram., is one of the commonest East Indian 

 species. It is white, with the head, collar, costa of the fore 

 wings, and femora scarlet ; the abdomen is yellow, spotted with 

 black, and the hind wings have also two or three black spots. 



