THE WHITE SPOT. 249 



race occurs in the Shetland Isles^ and chiefly on the east 

 coasts, whence came the specimen depicted (Fig. 8). On the 

 western sides of the Shetlands, Mr, McArthur found the species 

 to be rather more typical as a whole, although some specimens 

 approached the darker eastern form. The dark Shetland race 

 has been named van hethlandica by Staudinger, and the form 

 with the white markings yellowish tinged is \ar. ochrca, 

 Gregson. 



The caterpillar is pale ochreous brown ; the back sprinkled 

 with darker, and forming still darker V-shaped marks, central 

 line pale ; spiracles ochreous with black outlines, set in the 

 upper edge of a pale stripe ; head shining pale yellowish-brown 

 freckled and lined with darker. It feeds on the seeds of catch- 

 fly, campion, and will eat those of sweet-william and garden pinks. 

 July to September. The moth is out in June and July, and at 

 dusk visits the flowers of its food plants, and occasionally comes 

 to sugar. It is chiefly found in the seaboard counties, but as 

 regards England is commoner in the south than in the north. 

 Although generally rare in the inland counties, it is sometimes 

 not uncommon in some Surrey localities, such as the Croydon 

 district, and Mr. Scollick has reared moths from caterpillars 

 found in seed capsules of white campion at Horsley. 



The distribution of this species extends to Amurland. 



The White Spot {DiantJhvcia albiinactild). 



The moth shown on Plate 124, Fig. i, is "The Beautiful 

 Coronet " of some writers. Although a specimen was taken in 

 Kent in 18 16, nothing further was heard of the species in 

 England until 1865, when one example was captured in the 

 Portsmouth district. Then in 1873 caterpillars were found in 

 the Birch wood locality where the first moth was secured. The 

 next year the species was found to occur at Folkestone, and 

 subsequently at other places along the Kentish coast. Since 



