L OZOPEIUD/B—ARG YROLEPIA . .535 



even in width and rather narrow, apex blunt, hind margin 

 hardly oblique ; rich orange-yellow, costa minutely dotted 

 with black ; central band broad, nearly erect, composed of 

 horizontal rows of black and blue-black dots ; hind marginal 

 area clouded with deep black, on which are placed perpen- 

 dicular rows of blue dots ; cilia orange-yellow. Hind wings 

 smoky black with yellowish white cilia. Female similar, a 

 little larger. 



Underside of fore wings leaden-black, dusted with 

 yellow; costa broadly orange-yellow with minute black 

 streaks ; dorsal margin paler ; cilia yellow. Hind wings 

 smoky black dusted with yellow ; cilia pale yellow. Abdo- 

 men yellow beneath. 



On the wing from May till July. 



Larva white with a brown head (G. Elisha). On ragwort 

 (Scnecio jacohcea) feeding in the root stocks, and spinning 

 up immediately above, where it partially gnaws through the 

 substance, causing it readily to break off (A. Thurnall.) 

 Here it lies through the winter and assumes the pupa state 

 in the spring. 



The moth hides during the day in the plants of ragwort 

 and surrounding herbage, and then is not readily dis- 

 tui'bed ; but after sunset it creeps up and sits upon the 

 plants so quietly that it may be boxed, or will fly short 

 distances from one plant to another, but not in a very lively 

 manner. Later it flies more freely, but always seems to 

 keep near the ground. A local species, fond of railway 

 banks and rough ground on which ragwort is plentiful. 

 Before 1850 it was taken in plenty at Willesden in 

 Middlesex, and since that time has been found, though not 

 in any abundance in Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Essex, but so 

 far as I know not in any other part of the United Kingdom. 

 Abroad it inhabits France, Western Germany, Switzerland, 

 and Northern Italy. 



