146 European Buiteri-lies and Moms. 



NOCTU^. 



Till'; extensive group of moths included under the above heading is tolerably homogeneous, 

 but is divided into several families. The Noctiice are moths varying considerably in size, and 

 have generally stout bodies, often crested or tufted, and tapering behind. The eyes are 

 globular, the antenna: rather longer than half the length of the fore-wings ; the palpi are generally 

 thick and prominent, seldom depressed ; and the tongue is long, horny, and spiral, and rarely 

 soft and weak. The fore-wings are stout and triangular, with an internal nervure angulated at 

 the base, and almost always an accessory cellule, extending from nervule 6 to nervule 9 ; nervules 

 8 and g, and frequently lO also, rise from a common stem. The pattern generally consists 

 of three or four transverse lines, and three stigmata (Introduction, p. x.), but often diverges 

 considerably from this. The hind-wings are generally rather small, slenderer than the fore- 

 wings, and folded in repose. They are generally unicolorous grey, paler towards the base, or 

 white, with a dark central lunule, and are seldom brightly coloured or banded. The legs 

 are strong, the front tibis have a leaf-like appendage, and the hind tibia: have four spurs. 

 The larvK have sixteen legs, but occasionally only fourteen or twelve, when the first pairs 

 of prolegs are undeveloped. A few species are hairy, but the majority are smooth. They 

 change to pupze in the ground, or in a cocoon. The pupse are generally slender, and 

 tapering behind. The moths Hy at night, or late in the evening ; a few species are diurnal. 

 They suck honey from flowers, the sap of trees, and honej'dcw from leaves and grass, and 

 may be attracted by sugar or light. During the day they may be found at rest on the 

 trunks of trees, or on palings, in outhouses, or among grass or dry leaves, &c. 



FAMILY I.— BOMBYCOID^. 



These are moths scarcely reaching the middle size, and resembling Bonibyces in appearance. 

 The thorax is rounded in front, and not crested. The fore-wings are rounded at the tips, and 

 are brownish, black and white, or green ; the pattern is somewhat irregular. The legs are 

 woolly, the hind tibije a little longer than the femora, and the spurs short. The larvae have 

 sixteen legs, and are hairy, seldom naked, and construct cocoons. The moths fly at night, and 

 slope their wings when at rest. The genera of this family are included by some authors among 

 the Notodontida: and Aa-onyctidcE. 



GENUS I. — DILOBA (BOISD.). 



The thorax is short and broad, and the last joint of the palpi is rather long and thread- 

 like. The only species, * D. CcBi'itlcoccpliala, Linn, (tlie figure of 8 moth), has the fore- 

 wings varied with violet-brown and violet-grey, with two sharply-defined and zigzag inter- 

 rupted transverse lines, and three large contiguous greenish-yellow spots, dusted within with 

 rey. The hind-wings are pale grey, with a blackish spot at the anal angle. Expands from 

 1^ to 1 1 inches. Common throughout Europe and Western Asia in August and September. 

 The larva, which is much more frequently noticed than the moth, is thick, bluish-white, with 

 small black raised spots, on which single hairs stand, and pale yellow stripes on the back and 

 sides; the head is bluish, spotted with black. It feeds on apple, sloe, &c., in May and June. 



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