124 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY. 



This Moth is common throughout the greater part of 

 Europe, and Northern and Western Asia. It expands from an 

 inch and a quarter to an inch and a half. 



The head, thorax, and fore-wings are dark brown, dusted 

 with numerous fine grey atoms, which give the whole insect a 

 bronzy gloss. The antennae are long and of a brown colour. 

 The abdomen is paler, and the legs are dark brown, tinged 

 with white. 



The Mouse Moth. 



The fore-wings are nearly devoid of markings, with only a 

 few slight indications of the usual transverse lines. There is 

 a black dot in the position of the orbicular stigma, and two 

 black dots in the place of the reniform stigma. These serve 

 readilyto distinguish the insect. Towards the uniform dark 

 fringes the colour becomes paler. The hind-wings are brown- 

 ish-yellow, with the base whitish or reddish, and a faint lunule. 

 The fringes are bordered with a fine dark double line filled 

 in with lighter. 



The larva, which is full grown in May or June, lives on 

 Tragopogon prate?ise, Serraiiila, spinach, dock, larkspur, and 

 other low plants. It is smooth and green, with five longitu- 

 dinal white lines of about equal breadth, which converge at 

 the anal extiemity. Below the lowest lateral line are two 

 obliquely placed white dots, and there are also some minute 

 white points on each segment between the lines, each bearing 

 a fine hair. The pupa is dark brown, and the cocoon is rather 

 dense. The moth appears in May and June. 



