3l6 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



represented by var. ajidahisiaca^ Stand., and in Syria by var. 

 svriaca^ Stand. A typical male is shown on Plate 151, Fig. 4. 



The caterpillar is green, inclining to yellowish between the 

 rings of the body ; three lines on the back are whitish, edged 

 with dark green ; a stripe low down on the sides is whitish, 

 shaded above with dark green merging into the ground colour ; 

 head shining bright green, obscurely mottled with darker. In 

 other forms the general colour is reddish or pinkish brown, with 

 the lines edged and shaded with darker brown ; the head is 

 ochreous brown, mottled with darker brown. The green form 

 is figured on Plate 152, Fig. 6, but the browner forms are more 

 frequent. It feeds on grasses from the autumn until about 

 March. 



The Mottled Rustic {Caradrina morpheus). 



A specimen of this species is shown on Plate 151, Fig. 5. 

 There is some variation in the darker mottling and suffusion 

 of the ochreous or pale brown fore wings. The dark brown or 

 blackish stigmata are generally distinct. Hind wings whitish, 

 tinged with smoky on the veins, and in the female on the outer 

 marginal area. The caterpillar is brownish or greyish brown, 

 inclining to ochreous on the back ; central line whitish, with a 

 broken edging of brown ; on each side of the central line there 

 is a series of blackish arrow heads ; spiracles blackish ; head 

 dark brown, and very glossy. It feeds from August and 

 through the autumn on various low plants, including goose- 

 foot, knot-grass, dandelion, etc. The moth flies from June 

 to August, and occasionally there is a second flight in October. 

 The species is generally distributed and often common over 

 the greater part of England, but is less frequent in the more 

 northern counties, and in Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. Abroad 

 the range extends to Amurland and Corea. 



