TRIFID^. 217 



Larva long and stout, the twelfth segment rather thickened ; 

 head rounded, highly polished, conspicuously pale reddish- 

 brown, the face reticulated with dark brown ; general colour 

 dark olive-brown, paler on the back and below the spiracular 

 stripe, the whole of the body much shaded and dusted with 

 blackish ; dorsal line threadlike, paler brown ; usual dorsal 

 and lateral spots distinct, white edged with black, and each 

 enclosing a black dot ; spiracular stripe broad, much waved, 

 greenish-ochreous, edged above with a deep velvety-black 

 shade, which frequently contains a row of white spots above 

 the black spiracles ; twelfth segment with two broad, oblique, 

 black dorsal dashes, transversely shaded behind with ochreous ; 

 front edge of second segment black ; sides beneath the 

 spiracular stripe much dusted with black ; undersurface 

 unicolorous pale olivaceous-green. (0. Fenn.) 



Rather variable, sometimes paler brown with dark oblique 

 shades crossing the dorsal region and forming diamonds ; or 

 the subdorsal line indicated by black dashes, or pairs of black 

 streaks, along the outside of the dorsal line. 



April to June on oak, elm, aspen, plum and other fruit 

 trees, and sallow. Said when young to be sociable, some- 

 times spinning a common web, under which a dozen or more 

 will lie, side by side, during the day, coming out at night to 

 feed. 



Pupa red-brown, not further described. Subterranean. 

 Dr. Chapman has found the perfected moth within the pupa 

 as early as October. In this condition it lies through the 

 winter. One would reasonably expect frequent autumn 

 emergences of insects perfected in the pupa at that time, 

 yet the only instance known to me in this genus is that at 

 Chesham, of the present species, last October, as already 

 mentioned. 



The moth appears to hide during the day among dead 

 leaves on the ground, and so far as I know has not been 

 observed to fly in the sunshine. At dusk it resorts to the 



