Ermine-Moths. 



443 



the name of ermine-moths appears to be a very appropriate one. During the day they 

 may be seen sitting about on low herbage in exposed positions where such an exhibi- 

 tion seems highly dangerous in a world that contains many Insect-eating creatures. 

 But the ermine-moths are not good to eat, and their conduct almost indicates 

 a consciousness of the fact, as their colours make it known to the Insect-eaters. 



The most familiar member of this group is the white ermine. ^ Normally 

 its fore-wings are white with the faintest tinge of cream colour, scarcely evident 

 except by contrast with the pure white hind-wings. Other specimens 

 have the fore-wings distinctly cream coloured, and in others the cream 

 has deepened to buff. Typical specimens have a great number of small 

 black dots scattered over the fore-wings, and two or three on the hind-wings. 

 The hind-bodv is yellow with a black 

 spot in the middle of each segment 

 and one on each side. The cater- 

 pillar is one of the " bears," and under 

 its long, brown hairs the body is 

 brown with an orange-red stripe down 

 the middle of the upper surface. It 

 is a general feeder on all kinds of 

 plants whose foliage is close to the 

 ground, whereon it may be found 

 during August and September. It 

 then spins up a slight and far from 

 roomy cocoon into which it wea\'es 

 its own hairs, and having changed to 

 a dark-brown chrysalis, passes the 

 winter and spring in that condition, 

 the moth emerging in June. 



A very similar moth is the water 

 ermine,- which has all the wings 

 white, with a black dot or two on the 

 fore-wings. The yellow hind-body is 

 white at the tip. It is not a common 

 species, and is only found in the 

 neighbourhood of marshes, \\here its caterpillar days are spent in feeding 

 on the plants peculiar to such places, such as mint, willow-herb, lousewort, 

 yellow loosestrife, flag, and waterdock. The caterpillar is dark brown, 

 dotted with black warts, from which spring the spreading tufts of dark- 

 brown hairs. It spins up in August. The cocoon and cln-ysalis are 

 similar to those of the white ermine, but the (4n-\"salis has a reckU'r tinge. It 

 remains in the chrysalis stage during the winter and si)ring, and the me)th makes 

 its appearance in June. 



A third species is known as the buff ermine,'^ from tlie colour of the fore-wings 

 being commonly some shade of buff, though it \-aries in one direction to cream 

 colour and in another to light yellow. The hind-wings are usually paler. Several 



' Spilosoma menthastri. - S. uitic;e. ^ S. lubricipeda. 



Plioto hyi 



Buff Jlrmine Moth. 



Similar in a ficiicral way to the white ermine, tliis moth lias wings of 

 some shade of bnlt, with the black spots dit'lerently disposed. Xatural 

 size. 



