148 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



beaten from trees and bushes throughout the autumn, and 

 during the later months of the year it seems to hide in yews 

 and hollies. Just before dusk it becomes active and may then 

 be netted as it flies ; later on it may be seen regaling itself on 

 overripe blackberries, or on the ivy blossom, and it is not an 

 infrequent visitor to the sugar patch. 



The species has been found in almost every part of England 

 and Wales wherever there are oak woods. In Scotland it 

 occurs up to Argyllshire and Moray. For Ireland, Kane gives 

 Tyrone, Westmeath, Galway, Kerry, and Limerick. 



Distribution abroad : Central and Southern Europe, extending 

 northwards to Scandinavia, and eastwards to Amurland and 

 Japan. 



ARCTIID^E. 



In this family Staudinger includes 161 species known to 

 occur in the Palaearctic Region. About forty of these are found 

 in Europe, and thirty'one of the latter rank as British species. 



The family is usually divided into two sub-families — Arctiinns 

 and Lithosiinae, fifteen of our species being referred to the 

 former and sixteen to the latter. In both groups the cater- 

 pillars are hairy, but the hairs are usually longer in those of the 

 "Tigers " than in those of the " Footmen" ; the latter, too, are 

 lichen feeders, whilst the others prefer the foliage of plants. 



Tiger Moths {Arcflince). 



The moths in this sub-family have short, or, rather, stout 

 bodies, and ample wings ; and as the tongue is imperfectly 

 developed in most of the species, flowers have not the same 

 attraction for them as for the long-winged and slender-bodied 

 Lithosiinae, most members of which have this organ well 

 developed. 



