PORTHESIA L ARIA L .^.LIA. I I I 



is brownish-green, grey, or black, witli blue and red warts, and a black spot on the 2nd 

 segment, bordered behind with blue, and with wliitish on the sides. It feeds on orchard and 

 forest trees in May and June. The moth is figured at PI. 25, Fig. 3. 



GENUS VI. — PORTHESIA (STEPH.). 



Abdomen in the male rather short and slender ; in the female it is thick, with a large 

 anal tuft of coloured wool, which is used to cover the eggs after they are laid. The wings 

 are broad and white, and the antennae are pectinated in the male, and ciliated in the female. 

 The larvpe have short hairy warts, and a slight elevation on segments 5 and 12. They hyber- 

 nate when young, and live till May or June on hawthorn and other trees, and are frequently 

 very destructive when abundant. The moths appear from June to August, and arc found 

 sitting on hedges at dusk, when their white colour makes them very conspicuous. They 

 expand from i^ to if inches. 



* I. P. Aurifiia (W. V.), {Gold-tail RIotli). — White ; fore-wings with a black spot near the 

 hinder angle ; hind-wings with the 5th nei-vule absent ; abdominal tuft yellow. Common in 

 Southern and Central Europe and Northern and Western Asia. The larva has a double red 

 line on the back, and an interrupted white line beneath, a red line on the sides, and white 

 hairy warts on segments 5, 6, and 12. The moth and larva are figured at PI. 25, Fig. 5, a, b. 



* 2. P. Clirysorrhcea (Linn.), {Broivn-tail Moth). — Similar, but the black spot on the fore- 

 wings is generally absent ; nervule 5 is present on the hind-wings, and the abdominal tuft is 

 brown, more or less tinged with golden-yellow. Common in Central and Southern Europe, 

 North Africa, and Western Asia, but is a local insect in England. The larva is dark grey, 

 with two reddish-brown lines on the back, beneath which is a row of whitish streaks. The 

 moth is figured at PI. 25, Fig. 4. 



GENUS VII.— LARTA (SCHRANK). 



Body rather stout ; fore-wings very broad^ with a long hind margin, almost straight and 

 very slightly oblique. The only species, * L. V. nigra (Fabr.), is white, with a black V at the end 

 of the discoidal cell of the fore-wings. It expands about 2 inches, and is widely distributed 

 throughout Central Europe (including the south of England) from Finland to Piedmont, but 

 is scarce everywhere, and in many localities very rare. The moth appears in June, and the 

 larva is black, with the sides rusty-yellow, and long hair in front and behind. There arc eight 

 tufts of hair on the back : three of the middle ones are reddish-yellow, and the others white. 

 It feeds on various trees, especially the lime, from autumn to April. The moth is figured at 

 PI. 25, Fig. 6. 



GENUS VIII. — L/ELIA (STEril.). 



Abdomen slender in the male and thick in the female, extending beyond the anal angle; 

 the wings are moderately broad, and narrower in the female. In the only species, * L. Ccenosa 

 (Hlibn.), the male has light reddish-grey fore-wings, with a row of small indistinct dark spots 

 before the hind margin ; the hind-wings are greyish-white ; and the legs are yellow. In 

 the female the fore-wings are dirty white and without markings ; the hind-wings are whiter. 

 Expands rather more than i^ inches. Widely distributed throughout Central Europe in marshy 

 places, but extremely local everywhere. The larva is yellowish-grey, with black stripes on the 



