TRIFIDAi. 43 



reniform stigma, but unfortunately the brighter colours 

 gradually fade, the green becomes yellow, the purple shades 

 less distinct, and the central blotch yellower, so that the 

 most perfectly coloured specimen becomes in a few years 

 of quite different appearance. On the wing in June. 



Larva stout, nearly cylindrical, slightly humped upon the 

 twelfth segment, thirteenth tapering down to the prolegs, 

 which are rather extended backwards ; first three segments 

 also tapering a little; head rather small, rounded, shining 

 chestnut ; body varying in colour — red-brown, clay-colour, 

 umbreous or grey-brown, abundantly sprinkled with darkly- 

 edged white dots ; dorsal line black, regularly dotted with 

 white ; subdorsal lines hardly represented, except by an 

 irregular series of the white dots ; spiracular stripe very 

 broad and conspicuous, yellow marbled with fulvous, spiracles 

 white, edged with black ; undersurface of the colour of the 

 dorsal region ; legs pale chestnut ; prolegs spotted at the 

 sides with black. 



Hofmann says that when younger the ground colour is 

 sometimes green. 



July and August on goosefoot {Atrvplcx), dock, knot-grass, 

 and persicaria ; feeding at night. 



Pupa short and thick, anal segment very bluntly rounded ; 

 crem aster short and broad, the two bristles extremely delicate, 

 short, curled outwards ; wing and limb-covers abundantly 

 and closely covered with sculpture of minute incised lines, 

 rendering the surface dull ; head-cover and back of thorax 

 also roughened with minute pitting ; abdominal segments 

 glossy, but sparingly dotted with similar pits, except along 

 their hinder margins; colour chestnut brown; cremaster black- 

 brown. In a strong tough cocoon of silk, earth, and small 

 stones, underground. In this condition through the winter. 



The moth flies at dusk and comes willingly to sugar. 

 There is no record of its capture in the daytime with us. 

 It is one of our most local species and uncertain in its 



