SANDY CARPET. 207 



surrounding vegetation, in lanes, and around wood borders. 

 The species is widely distributed over the British Isles, except 

 that it seems not to have been noticed in Scotland, north of 

 Moray, although it occurs in the Hebrides. 



Sandy Carpet {Perizoma flavofasciaid). 



The pale ochreous-brown, or sandy, markings on the white 

 fore wings of this species readily distinguish it from either of its 

 allies. Variable in size, and also in the brownish tint of the 

 markings ; the central band is usually contracted below the 

 middle, and not infrequently it is completely severed at this 

 point. It is the decolor ata of Hlibner, and although more 

 generally known by that name, the earlier flavofasciata^ Thun- 

 berg, will have to be adopted for this species. (Plate 85, 

 Figs. 15,2?.) 



The stoutish caterpillar is pale reddish ochreous with browner 

 lines ; head, brown and shining, plate on first and last rings of 

 the body brown. It feeds on the flower buds, and on the 

 immature seeds, of the red campion {Lychnis dioica), and the 

 white campion (Z. vespertmd)^ but is more partial to the first 

 named ; in Ireland it is said to feed on bladder campion 

 (Silene injlatd). 



In July and August, or even later, the moth may be beaten 

 out of hedgerows, sandy banks, and borders of woods, and 

 sometimes disturbed from patches of the campion growing in 

 thickets ; in such places it is on the wing about sundown. 



Although local to some extent, it appears to be common 

 enough in most of the counties of England and Wales. In 

 Scotland, it is more or less generally common in Roxburgh- 

 shire and Clydesdale, and is said to have been an inhabitant of 

 Perthshire (Moncrieffe Hill). It appears to be very local in 

 Ireland, but is recorded from Antrim, Derry, and Kerry, and 

 noted as common at Larne in the first-named county. 



