226 LEPIDOPTERA. 



shades off in the latter area into a black band along the hind 

 margin. Body and legs black, abundantly covered with 

 purple and dull yellow hair-scales ; tibiae black, barred with 

 yellow. 



Locally variable ; in Ireland and the West of England the 

 colouring becomes often dark red-brown or black-brown, the 

 white markings obscured, sometimes almost suppressed, even 

 in some instances the white central spot being obliterated. 

 On the other hand southern examples are often of a very 

 light bright red. 



On the wing from May, or even, occasionally, the end of 

 April, till August, apparently the continuous emergence of a 

 single generation. 



Larva stout, cylindrical, but sloping a little from the apex 

 of the twelfth segment; head small, shining dull green 

 dusted with purple ; mouth darker ; general colour bright 

 green ; dorsal line represented by a row of elongate yellow 

 spots, the anterior half of each of which is paler ; subdorsal 

 line a row of similar spots slightly arched ; spiracular line 

 composed of A-shaped white markings, the apex uppermost ; 

 between the dorsal and subdorsal rows of spots is an additional 

 row of whitish spots, and another above the spiracular mark- 

 ings ; also above the legs and prolegs a line of oblique white 

 dashes. (0. Fenn.) 



End of July till October, but most plentiful in August 

 and September, at which time it comes constantly under 

 observation when one is searching heather-bloom for moths. 

 On Calluna vulgaris (heather or ling) and sometimes on 

 Erica; feeding by day as well as night, and may often be 

 found resting on the topmost twigs of the heather. In 

 confinement it has been induced to feed upon hawthorn 

 leaves. There are records of the finding of the larva in 

 April and May, but whether these have passed the winter in 

 hybernation or form a partial second generation is not yet 

 clearly settled. 



