THE SPINACH. 167 



The moth is out in July and August, and may be found on 

 the leaves and among the sprays of Vaccinhitn myrtillns growing 

 in woodlands (especially the more ancient), bogs, and moorlands. 



The species is widely spread, and generally abundant in 

 suitable districts, over the greater part of the British Isles ; but 

 it seems to be more or less casual in England south of the Mid- 

 lands, although its range runs through Gloucestershire and 

 Somerset into Devon. In the last-named county it sometimes 

 swarms at Martinhoe, on the edge of Exmoor. 



The distribution abroad includes Eastern Siberia, Amurland, 

 Labrador, and North America. 



,-(.• 



,^l^ The Spinach {Lygris assodata), 



.c i' The fore wings are pale ochreous, more or less clouded with 

 darker ; three brownish cross lines. Hind wings, paler, with 

 indication of cross lines on the inner margin. Fringes of all 

 the wings chequered with brown, most distinct on the fore 

 wings. (Plate 65, Figs, i, 2.) 



The long caterpillar is green, inclining to yellowish ; three 

 lines along the back, the central one dark green and the 

 others whitish ; there is also a whitish line low down along the 

 sides. It feeds at night, in May and June, on currant [Ribes 

 rubnun and R. nignun), and may be found on the underside 

 of a leaf in the daytime. (Figured on Plate 67, Fig. i, from a 

 coloured drawing by Mr. A. Sich.) 



During July and August the moth flies in the evening, and 

 after dark it often comes to any bright illumination. It is 

 essentially a garden insect, and where currant bushes are there 

 also spinach is often grown ; hence it was probably connected 

 with the vegetable rather than the fruit when Haworth named it 

 spiiiachiata. The species seems to be found more or less 

 frequently in suitable spots through England. In Wales it has 



