THE LEPIDOPTERA. 81 



may be seen flying with great rapidity at dusk ; it may 

 also be readily captured at light. The figure (3) represents 

 the male insect, the female differing only in her simple 

 antennas. 



Family N0CTUID,E. 

 Mamestra ustistriga (Plate X., fig. 6 £ ). 

 This handsome insect is rather uncertain in its appear- 

 ance, but is occasionally taken quite unexpectedly at rest 

 on tree-trunks or palings in the daytime. Specimens may 

 also be captured while feeding on the white rata blossoms 

 early in March, where they occasionally occur among the 

 hosts of other Noctuae. The larva, which feeds on the 

 honeysuckle, is of a pale brown colour, with two obscure 

 darker lines on each side, the under-surface being light 

 slate-colour. The pupa state is spent in the ground, and 

 many fine specimens may be reared from chrysalids picked 

 up while gardening, &c. The sexes of this insect differ 

 considerably in colour : the male is of a pinkish grey with 

 black markings, while the female is of a uniform pale grey, 

 and considerably smaller. 



Family NOCTUID^E. 

 Heliothis armigera (Plate X., fig. 4, 4a larva). 

 This conspicuous insect occurs in great abundance during 

 certain seasons, but is very irregular in its appearance, it 

 frequently happening that only two or three specimens are 

 noticed in a whole year. It is generally seen flying in the 

 daytime, when it delights to suck honey from the flowers of 

 the Scotch thistle, a plant which much overruns the forest 

 lands when first cleared. The larva (Fig. 4a) is a very 

 handsome caterpillar, of a dark brownish black colour, 

 ornamented with yellow subdorsal and lateral lines and 

 numerous streaks and dots of the same hue. The ventral 

 surface is a rich yellowish brown, and the subventral line 



7 



