3O0 LEPIDOPTERA. 



white, and well deserves its common name of the Satin moth ; 

 but in preseiTed specimens a faintly brownish discoloration 

 appears in time along the subcostal nervure, and gradually 

 spreads to the other nervures of the fore wings. Otherwise 

 it is hardly variable, except that in occasional examples the 

 whole surface of the wings has a faint tinge of smoky- 

 blackish from an admixture of minute dark scales among the 

 white. Mr. S. J. Capper has a specimen in which the apex 

 and hind margin of the fore wings are distinctly shaded with 

 blackish. 



On the wing in July and August. 



Larva one and a half inch long ; rather flattened above 

 and beneath ; each segment having subdorsal and sjDiracular 

 raised spots, or tentacles, from which arise tufts of short 

 spreading bristles. Head rounded but distinctly lobed ; 

 dark grey, blacker on the upper portion, with two whitish 

 spots; lower portion protected by numerous hairs, longer 

 than those on the body ; second segment whitish or yellowish 

 in front, red behind ; the remaining segments each with a 

 crimson dorsal spot, immediately followed upon each by a 

 clear bright white spot, small on the first three segments, 

 large, broad and conspicuous, sometimes even divided, on the 

 remainder, except the last, which is black behind the red 

 spots; each segment having also the raised subdorsal and 

 spiracular spots of a bright crimson ; all the dorsal surface, 

 round and between the crimson and white spots, is black ; 

 on each side is a slender clear white longitudinal line, edged 

 above and below with black ; below this is a broad blue 

 stripe extending to the legs and prolegs, which are also blue ; 

 this blue stripe encloses the lower row of crimson raised 

 spots ; hairs reddish. 



August to June or July upon poplar and willow, and on 

 the coast upon sallow. The larvae hybernate when not 

 more than a quarter of an inch long ; each in a tiny cocoon- 

 like web in some chink of the bark of the tree on which it 



