74 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



and edged above the inner margin by a dark chocolate brown 

 curved line ; raised scales on the central area and on the cross 

 lines. Two oval reddish brown marks on the front of the collar 

 have some resemblance to a pair of spectacles, hence the 

 English name. (Plate 22, Fig. 2.) 



The caterpillar is green, sprinkled with white dots ; on 

 rings 4, 5, and 11 are whitish-edged darker marks, and there is 

 a dark line, also whitish-edged, along the middle of the back 

 between rings 5 and 11 ; a white line on the back from ring 4 

 to the brownish head, and white-edged dark oblique lines on 

 the sides of rings 6 to 11 ; the line low down along the sides is 

 whitish with an ochreous tinge. A purplish brown form also 

 occurs (Plate 27, Fig. 2), in which the pale markings are 

 ochreous tinged. It is found from July to September on nettle 

 and hops, the latter more especially. The earlier caterpillars, 

 in some years, attain the moth state in August or early 

 September, but the bulk of them remain in the chrysalis state 

 during the winter, the moth emerging in June or July of the 

 following year. 



The species is not uncommon in most southern English 

 counties, but becomes less frequent or more local northwards 

 from the Midlands to Cumberland, Northumberland, and South 

 Scotland. It occurs in Wales, and is w-idely spread in Ireland. 



The range abroad extends to Amurland. 



is*^ -«- -^ The Spectacle {Abrostola tripartita). 



v€^^ 



This species, known also as nrticcE^ Hiibner, has the basal 

 and outer marginal areas of the fore wings whitish grey, finely 

 mottled with darker grey ; the central area is greyish brown, 

 mottled with darker brown. The spectacle mark in front of 

 the thorax is whitish grey, ringed with black, and the raised 

 scales on the cross lines and central area of the fore wings 

 are more distinct in this species (Plate 22, Fig. 3). The 



