234 I'HE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



oblique streaks ; the white spiracles are followed by blackish 

 marks ; head brown freckled with darker. It feeds in the 

 autumn on primrose, violet, dock, etc., and in the spring it 

 seems to prefer the buds and young leaves of birch, sallow, 

 bramble, hawthorn, sloe, chestnut, etc. The chrysalis, which 

 also is figured, is dark reddish-brown, with two short anal 

 spikes. 



This species occurs in June and July, and frequents woodland 

 localities throughout England, Ireland, Scotland (up to Moray), 

 and Wales. 



^fci" The Lesser Broad-border {Triphcena ianthina). 



y^ Fore wings violet or purplish grey with blackish cross bands 



and brownish suffusion, the latter more especially on the basal 

 area ; reniform and orbicular stigma outlined in whitish. (Plate 

 1 16, Fig. 3.) In another form the bands and suffusion are 

 reddish-brown. The black clouding on basal area of hind 

 wings sometimes extends further towards the marginal band. 

 The caterpillar (Plate 118, Fig. 3) is of a greenish tinged 

 ochreous brown colour, with a pale central line and series of 

 dusky dashes along the back, these dashes becoming blackish 

 on the hind rings ; the white spiracles are set in a blackish 

 mark, and under them is a pale ochreous stripe. It feeds in 

 the autumn on primrose, bramble, dock, etc., and in the spring 

 on the young growth of sallow, elm, hawthorn, etc. The moth 

 flies in July and August, frequenting lanes, hedgerows, and 

 woods. It is pretty generally distributed throughout England, 

 Wales, Ireland, and Scotland as far north as Moray. 





)jr^ The Least Yellow Underwing [Triphaua intcrjedd). 



\ ^ Fore wings, dull reddish brown with darker cross lines and 



v^^ shades, often faint. On the inner margin of the yellow hind 



wings, two dusky shades run from the border to the base ; these 



