132 European Butterflies and Moths. 



2. E. Catax (Linn.). — Fore-wings golden-yellow in the male, with a central white spot, and the 

 hind margin reddish-grey ; and rust-red in the female, with a pale transverse stripe behind the 

 white spot ; hind-wings paler, without markings. Common in most parts of Central Europe, 

 except Britain. The larva is yellowish-brown, with deep black incisions, bluish-black spots on the 

 back, and blue spots on the sides, streaked and dotted with yellow. It feeds on sloe and birch. 

 The sexes of the moth are figured at PL 28, Fig. 8, a, b. 



*3. E. Lanestris (Linn.), (Small Eggar). — Fore-wings rusty-brown, often suffused with grey in 

 the male, with a white spot at the base and another in the middle, and an oblique white stripe 

 before the hind margin ; the hind-wings are paler, with a whitish streak in the middle. Common 

 throughout Europe. The larva is dark blue, with two rows of large and densely-hairy reddish- 

 yellow warts on the back, and white spots between them ; it lives on sloe, hawthorn, &c., and is 

 figured, with the larva, at PI. 29, Fig. 4, a, b. (E. Loti, Ochs., from Spain, is reddish-brown in the 

 male, and ash-colour in the female, with a white spot in the middle of the fore-wings, and a waved 

 white line behind it. The larva lives on gum cistus. 



GENUS V. — CRATERONYX (DUP.). 



Wings rounded, rather long ; nervulcs 6 and 7 of the hind-wings rise from the front angle of 

 the discoidal cell, and the costal nervure rises from the base. The pectinations of the antennae 

 are very long in the male, and a little shorter in the female. The larvae are covered with thin 

 short hair, and with small warts ; they live on low plants in May and June, and hide themselves in 

 the ground during the day. They change to pupae on the surface of the ground without forming 

 a cocoon, and the moths appear in October. 



1. C. Diniieti (Linn.). — Wings dark olive-brown, with a slightly-curved ochre-yellow transverse 

 stripe, and an ochrc-yellow spot in the middle of the fore-wings. Expands about 2 inches. It is 

 found throughout the greater part of Europe, except Britain, but is considered a scarce insect. 

 The larva is dark grey, with a row of deep black, oval, transverse spots on each side of the back ; 

 it feeds on Hicracium, dandelion, &c. The moth is figured at PI. 29, Fig. 5. {C. Balcanka, Herr.- 

 Schaff., from Bulgaria and Armenia, is ochreous-grey in the male, and brownish-grey in the female, 

 with a pale stripe near the middle of the wings, and a large brown spot in the middle of the fore- 

 wings, surrounded with paler.) 



2. C. Taraxaci (W. V.). — Ochre-yellow ; the female paler, with a small black dot before the 

 middle of the fore-wings, and black hind-wings. Rather smaller than Duvieti. A local species in 

 the southern half of Central Europe. The larva is orange on the back, and dark brown on the 

 sides, with deep black spots on the sides of the back. It feeds on dandelion. 



GENUS VI. — MEGASOMA (BOISD.). 



Body thick, and extending considerably beyond the hind-wings; palpi stout, projecting beyond 

 the head ; antennae of the male deeply pectinated towards the base, and moderately towards the 

 tip ; those of the female slightly pectinated. Wings long and rather narrow; hind margin of the 

 fore-wings very oblique. The only European species, Af. Rcpanda (Hiibn.), is found in Spain and 

 North Africa. It is reddish-brown, with two red spots on the thora.x ; fore-wings with a curved 

 brown lunule, a waved white stripe, and a white spot at the base; hind-wings reddish-white. In the 

 male the .shoulders and the disc of the fore-wings are darker. Expands from 2 to 2 J inches. The 

 male is much smaller than the female. The larva lives on different species of Spayiium. It is 

 abundant at Cadiz, where there is a succession of broods throughout the year. 



