Heliothis. 255 



is sometimes extended so as to cover the wliole basal portion of the wing; hind-legs clothed 

 with long hair. The larvs have sixteen legs, with fine scattered hairs placed on raised 

 spots ; they feed on the flowers and seeds of low plants, and undergo their transformations in 

 the ground. The moths fly over flowers in the day-time. 



GENUS I. — HELIOTHIS (OCHS.). 



Fore-wings varied with pale yellowish-grey or olive-grey, the tips rather obtuse, and the 

 fringes sometimes slightly waved ; hind-wings with a dark central lunule and a pale spot in 

 the dark border ; the abdomen extends a little beyond the anal angle, and is not provided 

 with an ovipositor in the female ; the front tibiae are spined. 



* I. H. Scutosa (W. v.). — Fore-wings dark olive-grey, varied with white in the central area, 

 and with whitish nervures ; the three stigmata very large, dark brown, the subterminal line 

 whitish ; hind-wings dirty white, with a large brown central spot and border, the latter inter- 

 sected by a pale line near the inside, in addition to the pale spot towards the anal angle. 

 Expands from \\ to li inches. Common throughout Central Europe and the Altai, but very 

 rare in the north of England. It is double-brooded, appearing in spring and autumn. Tlie 

 larva is green, with a black line on the back, and below it a black finely zigzag line on 

 each side, shaded beneath with grey. It feeds on wormwood in May, June, August, and 

 September. 



* 2. H. Armigera (Hiibn.). — Fore-wings brownish-ochreous, varied with darker in the 

 suffused submarginal band, with indistinct dark transverse lines, central shade, subterminal 

 line, and a small darker reniform stigma ; hind-wings whitish, with a narrow dark central 

 lunule, and a black border, containing a small pale spot, towards the anal angle. Expands 

 about \\ inches. Common over the greater part of the world, except the north, from May 

 to October, but very rare in Britain. The larva is brownish-red, with three greenish-grey 

 lines on the back, and a yellow stripe on the sides. It feeds on wild mignonette and other 

 low plants, and, like most other larvae of the genus, is a cannibal. It is one of the most 

 destructive insects to the cotton crops in the Southern States of America. {H. Incariiata, 

 Freyer, from South Europe and Western Asia, is greenish-yellow, with the costa and 

 hind margin rosy, the stigmata brown, and the reniform stigma slightly marked with white ; 

 hind-wings pale grey, with the hind margin black ; fringes red ; head and thorax purple. 

 The larva feeds on different species of Silene) 



* 3. H. Peltigera (W. V.). — Fore-wings greyish-ochreous, brownish in the suffused sub- 

 marginal band, with a small black spot above the inner margin, the reniform stigma dark grey, 

 connected with the costa by a brown spot ; hind-wings as in Armigera. Expands from i\ to 

 li inches. Abundant throughout the south of Europe, Asia, and Africa, but scarce in Central 

 Europe, from May to September, flying over the flowers of thistles in the day-time. The 

 larva is greenish-yellow, suffused with red above, with three grey longitudinal stripes on the 

 back, and a whitish stripe on the sides. It feeds on Hyoscyczmus niger from June to August. 

 {H. Niibigera, Herr.-Schaff., from Andalusia, South Russia, and Syria, closely resembles 

 Peltigera, but the male has the femora and upper part of the tibijs of the hind-legs furnished 

 with a tuft of very long hair, which is wanting in the other species.) 



* 4. H. Dipsacea (Linn.). — Fore-wings pale olive-green, with a broad brownish central shade, 

 which covers the large brown reniform stigma, and is expanded on the inner margin to the 

 subterminal line, which is indicated by the dark shading in front ; hind-wings dirty white, 



