LEPIDOPTERA. 



213 



the body, and the pose so beautifully harmonises with a dead twig 

 that it may, in fact, be easily overlooked. There is a conspicuous 

 buff-coloured portion at the extremity of the wings — hence the name. 



Fig. 207.— Pyga'ra bucephala {Buff-tip Moth). 



The fore wings are of various shades of pearly grey or silvery grey, 

 with mottled whitish markings. In fact, the wings may be briefly 

 ilescribed as sparkling with silvery powder of a frosty appearance. 

 The hind wings are whitish stone- 

 coloured in appearance. There is a 

 conspicuous raised crest on the 

 thorax. 



The caterpillars, in their very 

 young stage, feed in company, but 

 after the first larval moult they 

 separate into parties of eight or ten, 

 but do not move far from their 

 birthplace — hence the damage is all 

 done in one place. "When resting, 

 however, from feeding, they re- 

 assemble in comparatively large 

 groups, as seen in fig. 208. When 

 full-grown they are about 1| 

 inch in length, rather soft and 

 limp. Head black, body downy. 

 The prevailing colour is a mixture 

 of yellow and black. In the first three segments behind tlie head 

 those two colours are blended in squares, but on the other segments 



Larvce nfBiiff.fip Moth on twig 

 of oak. 



