BOARMID.-E—FIDONIA. 21 



Larva rather short, stout, and smooth ; head rounded, not 

 polished, dull green dusted with brown, and with a distinct 

 brown dash in the middle of each lobe ; body clothed with 

 a few scattered short hairs, variable, grass-green, dark green, 

 or bluish-green ; dorsal line grey, edged on each side by a 

 line of a paler shade of the gi'ound colour ; subdorsal line 

 whitish or yellowish, enclosed between two grey threads ; 

 between the dorsal and subdorsal lines is often another grey 

 thread, and two similar threads between the subdorsal line 

 and spiracular stripe, which last is broad, conspicuous, pale 

 yellow or yellowish-white, distinctly margined on both sides 

 with black, and not continued npon the anal flap ; under- 

 surface of the ground colour with four yellow longitudinal 

 lines, the two in the middle most distinct ; legs pale brown 

 dotted with dark brown; prolegs tipped with brown. (C. 

 Fenn.) Mr. Buckler has figured a variety in which all the 

 green colouring is replaced by purplish-brown, 



June, and a second generation in August or September, 

 on broom (SparHum scopariuin) and sometimes on Genista. 

 In both generations feeding up -with great rapidity. 



Pupa stout, rounded, tapering rapidly behind ; surface 

 shining but roughened, dull purplish-brown : anal extremity 

 furnished with a long spike. Subterranean, sometimes 

 enclosed in a very slight silken cocoon, which however is 

 often wanting, (C. Fenn.) 



The winter is passed in this state. 



The moth flies actively by day in hot sunshine ; in cloudy 

 or wet days and at night rests on the undersides of the 

 broom bushes with its wings shut closely together, erect 

 above its back, like a little butterfly. Only to be found 

 about these bushes, and now very scarce, or excessively local 

 in its distribution in these islands ; but forty years ago it 

 was very plentiful at Stowmarket and elsewhere in Suffolk, 

 and in Essex and Kent ; probably it still exists in isolated 

 spots in these counties. Its destruction seems to have been 



