82 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



she lays in neatly arranged batches on the undersides of the 

 leaves. If undisturbed, a company of these caterpillars quickly 

 clear a fair-sized branch of all leafage. The chrysalis is purplish 

 brown (the early stages are shown on Plate 37). 



The moth flies 'in June and July, but is rarely seen in the 

 daytime. The wings in repose are closely folded down to the 

 body and the insect has then a very stick-like appearance, and 

 may thus easily escape detection. 



Occurs throughout England and Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. 

 It is most common, and the caterpillar often abundant, in 

 London and its suburbs, as well as other southern parts of the 

 country. Its range extends through Europe to Northern Asia 

 Minor, Armenia, and Siberia. 



The Chocolate-tip {Pygcera mrtuld). 



Two examples of this moth are shown on Plate 35. Fig. 2 

 represents the spring (April and May) form, and Fig. 1 the 

 summer (July and August) form. Sometimes there is a third 

 brood, in September or October, and Barrett describes the 

 individuals of this as " pale drab, dusted with darker atoms, and 

 with the chocolate blotch paler towards the apex." Hybrids 

 have been obtained from a pairing between curtula female and 

 anacJioreta male, and these were most like the female parent. 

 The early stages are figured on Plate 34., Figs. i-i^. 



The verdigris-green eggs are laid in batches on the leaves of 

 poplar and aspen, upon which the caterpillars feed in May and 

 June, and, as a second brood, in August and September. In 

 colour the caterpillar, which is rather hairy, is grey, with a 

 pinkish tinge, sprinkled with black, and with orange spots on 

 the sides ; there is a raised black spot on the fourth ring, and 

 another on the eleventh ; head blackish. The chrysalis is 

 reddish-brown, spun up in a packet of leaves. This species 

 appears to be less common in England than formerly. It is, 



