88 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



The Figure of Eighty {Palimpsestis octogessimd). 



This moth (Plate 36, Figs, 5, 6) may be distino^uished by two 

 whitish marks on the fore wings which have some resemblance 

 to the numerals 80, hence the common name. These are really 

 the white outlines of the reniform and orbicular stigmata, each 

 of which has the central part filled in with black ; sometimes 

 the lower portion of the 8 is obscure, but in a general way the 

 character is not difficult to make out. 



The caterpillar is yellowish tinged with greyish on the back ; 

 a greyish plate on the back of the ring nearest the black marked 

 orange head ; three black spots on each side of the first ring^ 

 two such spots on ring two, and one on each side of rings three 

 to eleven ; the back of the last ring has a greyish plate. It feeds 

 in July and August, earlier or later in accordance with season, 

 on poplar. During the day it hides between united leaves, or 

 in a curled up withered leaf, upon the tree. The shining 

 black chrysalis with somewhat reddish ring divisions is enclosed 

 in a rather loosely constructed cocoon spun up between leaves, 

 or among moss etc., at the base of poplar trees. The moth 

 emerges in May or June. It is partial to sugar, and is said to 

 prefer its sweets served up on poplar trunks. Probably it is 

 most often and regularly obtained in the Eastern Counties, but 

 it is locally not uncommon in Worcestershire and Herefordshire ; 

 also found in Gloucestershire, Somerset, Hertfordshire, Middle- 

 sex, Surrey, and, I believe, Sussex. The range abroad is similar 

 to that of 7". batis. 



The Poplar Lutestring {Palimpsestis or). 



May be recognized in the typical form by the four-lined bands, 

 "lutestrings," on the greyish, sometimes pink-tinged fore wings; 

 the reniform and orbicular marks are often present^although the 

 first is generally obscure, and they never assume the similarity 



