210 LEPIDOPTERA. 



1. A. gerningana, Hvhlff. ; gerningiana, WUk. — 

 Expanse \ to f inch (12-18 mm.). Fore wings orange- 

 yellow, central band and apical area purple-red ; hind wings 

 pale smoky brown. 



AntennEe of the male pectinated, dark brown ; palpi, 

 head, and thorax dark purple; abdomen dull brown. Fore 

 wings not broad ; costa flatly arched, not folded ; apex 

 acute ; basal area bright yellow or orange-yellow ; central 

 band extremely oblique, straight, dark rich purple, shading 

 off outwardly a little, yet the purple colour is continued to the 

 hind margin, and a deeper purple spot placed on the costa 

 before the apex ; cilia dark purple. Female quite similar, 

 but with the antennaj thread-like, and the fore wings a little 

 more narrow and sharply pointed. 



Underside of the fore wings smoky purple-brown with 

 paler dashes in the middle of the costa. Hind wings smokj- 

 grey, thickly dusted in front with purjDle. 



On the wing from the end of May till August. 



Larva browuish-green, not very dark ; head honey-yellow 

 with blackish markings and a large black spot on either side ; 

 anal plate irregularly edged with black ; anal prolegs with a 

 black spot. (Hoffmann.) Gartner says that it has lighter 

 raised dots with black centres. 



May and June on Vaccinmm- vitin-idma and V. uligino&um, 

 Helianthemum and Plantago media. Sorhagen adds Lotus 

 corniculatus, Scahiosa columbm-ia, Potcntilla tormcntiUa and 

 other plants among the root-leaves, or in a habitation of 

 spun-together leaves in the flower spike. 



Pupa yellowish-brown. In a white cocoon under the 



The male flies actively by day in the sunshine, especially 

 in the late afternoon, over heather, but the female is far more 

 sluggish, flving later in the evening, and never being con- 

 spicuous on the wing. Its home is on mountain heaths and 



