THE FLOUNCED RUSTIC. 1$ 



The moth is out from late August well on into October, and 

 is to be found, wherever its favourite trees are established, 

 throughout the British Isles. 



The Flounced Rustic {Amatkcs (Ort/wsia) helvola). 



On Plate 9 is shown a male specimen of the typical form 

 (Fig. i). In ab. ochrea, Tutt, the general colour of the fore 

 wings is ochreous with a greenish tinge, and so it differs from 

 the type, in which the ground colour is reddish. In another 

 ochreous form the cross bands are of a purplish tint (ab. 

 pH?nca, Borkhausen), and in ab. rii/iJia, Hiibner, the bands are 

 also purplish, but the ground colour is of a somewhat brighter 

 red than in the type. Ab. nnicolor^ Tutt, is dull reddish with 

 indistinct cross markings, and seems to be a modification of the 

 almost unicolorous form of a bright red colour, ab. rufa^ Tutt. 

 (Fig. 2.) 



The full-grown caterpillar feeds, in April and May, on the 

 foliage of the oak, the elm, and some other trees ; also on 

 sallow, hawthorn, and, according to Barrett, on bilberry and 

 heather. In general colour it is brownish, often tinged with red, 

 and more or less flecked with dark brown ; a fine whitish line 

 along the middle of the back is only clearly traceable on the 

 front rings, but there is a very distinct white stripe along the 

 region of the black spiracles. In an earlier stage it is green 

 with three whitish lines on the back, and another on the sides. 



The moth is out in September and October, rather earlier in 

 Scotland. Though much commoner in some districts than in 

 others, this species is found in woodlands throughout the greater 

 part of England, Wales, and the mainland of Scotland. In 

 Ireland it appears to be rare, and has only been recorded, chiefly 

 in single specimens, from Waterford, Wicklow, Galway, Armagh, 

 and Perry. 



