296 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



thistles flourish, throughout England and Wales. It is found 

 in Scotland up to Perthshire and Aberdeen. Only recorded 

 from Wicklow, Galway, Sligo, and Clare, in Ireland. 



The Reed Wainscot {Ncmagria canncB). 



This moth (Plate 144, Fig. 4) varies in size and also in the 

 colour of the fore wings, which range from a pale ochreous, 

 through reddish shades, to sooty brown. The cross lines are 

 indicated by black dots. The black dotted greenish caterpillar 

 has a brown head and a whitish green plate on first ring of the 

 body. It feeds from May to July in the stems of reed-mace 

 {Typlia / a/ if ol /a), oii&n called the bulrush or catstail ; also in 

 the true bulrush {Scirpus laciistris). Y\g. 5, Plate 148, shows the 

 chrysalis in its characteristic position when in the stem, that is 

 with the head upwards. The moth flies, in August and Septem- 

 ber, at dusk, over and among the reeds ; the males especially 

 freely responding to the attraction of light. Its chief localities 

 are in the fens of Norfolk and Sufl"olk, but it has also occurred 

 in Mid-Sussex. 



Webb's Wainscot (Nonagria sparga?m). 



This moth also varies in the colour of the fore wings, from 

 almost whitish through various shades of ochreous and red. 

 The main veins are shaded with grey, and the median one has 

 black dots upon it, chiefly at the end of the cell ; the outer 

 margin with a row of large or small black dots. (Plate 144, 

 Fig. 3.) The caterpillar is yellowish green with darker lines; 

 head and plate on first ring of the body pale brown. It feeds in 

 July and August in stems of bur-reed {Sparga;iiufn\ reed-mace, 

 and yellow flag. Fig. 6, Plate 148, shows the chrysalis in its 

 natural position in the stem. The hole in the stem from which 

 the moth escapes is also clearly in evidence above the chrysalis. 



