HEPIALID^. 167 



colour is there found, the most constant characteristics being, 

 apparently, that where the ground colour of the fore wings is 

 of the usual silvery-white the hind wings have more or less 

 of the same whiteness, especially toward the costal margin, 

 the remainder being dark grey ; but in those which have the 

 fore wings of any shade of yellow, the hind wings are wholly 

 dark grey. No correspondingly remarkable aberrations of 

 the female are met with. 



On the wing in June and July, and occasionally iu 

 August. 



Larva 1| inches long, plump, with wrinkled and deeply 

 divided segments. Head oval, reddish-brown ; dorsal plate 

 also reddish-brown ; body dirty whitish or pinkish white, with 

 the spiracles black ; pairs of black dots down the dorsal region, 

 and a transverse row of round black dots on the twelfth 

 segment; legs whitish. When younger a brown internal 

 dorsal vessel is visible, and the raised spots are distinctly 

 brownish. 



Feeding underground on the roots of various plants — dock, 

 dandelion, dead-nettle, burdock, asparagus, Jerusalem arti- 

 choke, and probably almost any succulent root, root-stock, or 

 tuber which grows in meadows, or even in gardens when 

 neglected. Feeding from July or August to the following 

 May, at least. Mr. Hellins was of opinion that the whole 

 growth was attained in one year. 



Pupa elongated and of rather equal thickness throughout ; 

 a projecting ridge in front of the head ; wing-cases short and 

 small ; leg-cases small and inconspicuous ; anal segment 

 extremely blunt, rather retracted, and furnished with several 

 thick black points; abdominal segments distinctly ridged 

 with rows of small blackish brown points on the back, and 

 more distinctly ridged with pairs of broad black teeth on the 

 ventral surface, the ridge on the eleventh segment being very 

 conspicuous, with abundant black teeth. General colour dark 



