1 64 LEPIDOPTERA 



covered with the downy hairs of the plant as to seem to be a 

 part thereof. 



The moth is of ratlier secluded habits, keeping closely to 

 the shelter of its food-plant ; though it can be disturbed in 

 the daytime, when it will fly a short distance to settle again 

 on grass stems or among herbage, and is very easy of capture. 

 Its natural time of flight is in the evening. Almost confined 

 in these Islands to the South coast of England ; formerly 

 common near Folkstone and Deal in Kent ; and near 

 Brighton, Eastbourne, Hastings, Pett, and Lewes in Sussex; 

 still occurring casually in most of these localities but in far 

 smaller numbers ; formerly also to be found in Devon ; and 

 quite recently in the Isle of Pnrbeck, Dorset. This, so far as 

 I know, is the extent of its range with us. Abroad, it has a 

 considerable distribution through Central and Southern 

 Europe, Asia Minor, Syria and Egypt. 



Genus 2. PYRAUSTA. 



Antennas simple ; palpi short, tongue present ; head and 

 thorax smooth; abdomen rather short, banded, smooth : fore 

 wings trigonate ; hind wings rather broad ; legs untufted, 

 not long. 



1. P. purpuralis, L. — Expanse J to | inch (18-23 mm.) 

 Fore wings crimson-purple, spotted and banded with orange- 

 yellow; hind wings black-brown with a purple tinge, banded 

 and spotted with pale yellow. 



Antennae of the male threadlike, bronzy-black ; palpi 

 slender, rather porrected, dull brown ; head and thorax 

 golden brown mingled with black ; abdomen slender, dull 

 black, each segment edged by a pale yellow ring : anal tuft 

 purple. Fore wings trigonate, the margins nearly straight ; 

 apex angulated ; rich purple ; at the base is an orange blotch 

 dusted and edged with black scales ; discal spot small, round, 

 orange-yellow ; second line an orange-yellow stripe, or series 



