PTEROPHORID^—ACIPTILUS. 405 



smaller but stouter, the fore wings paler, often pale sulpliur- 

 yellow ; the hind wings also paler. 



Underside of the fore wings smoky brown except the 

 shafts of the lobes, which are pale yellow ; the lirst and third 

 lobes of the hind wings also pale yellow, the second smoky 

 brown ; the cilia of all dark smoky brown. Body pale 

 yellow. 



On the wing from June till August. 



Larva half an inch in length, thickest in the middle, 

 attenuated at the extremities, rounded above, flatter beneath ; 

 head small and glossy, considerably narrower than the second 

 segment, yellowish-green, the mandibles and a spot on each 

 side of them brown ; ground colour bright pea-green ; dorsal 

 stripe broad, of a considerably darker shade of green and 

 powdered on each side with greyish-white ; sub-dorsal stripes 

 of the same dark green colour, but not so conspicuous ; 

 spiracular stripes rather broad, yellowish-grey ; a tuft of 

 short white hairs springs from each raised dot; segmental 

 divisions white ; ventral surface, legs and prolegs bright 

 pea-green. (G. T. Porritt.) 



May and June on wild thyme (Thijmus serpyllum'). 



Pupa green with numerous bristles ; the wing-covers pale 

 brown along the edges. (Hofmann.) 



The moth hides itself among thj^me and other low-growing 

 herbage during the day, and is readily disturbed by the 

 footstep in the afternoon, flying naturally and freely at sun- 

 set. It frequents open fields and waste places as well as hill- 

 sides, in chalky places and limestone districts, also following 

 its food-plant into soils which contain enough of the calcareous 

 nature to allow it to thrive ; consequently it is more widely 

 distributed than some of the chalk-loving species. We have 

 it in suitable spots throughout the Southern Counties from 

 Kent to Somerset ; also in Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, 

 Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Herefordshire, Worcester- 



