334 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



The Transparent Burnet {Zygcena purpnralis). 



Two Welsh specimens are depicted on Plate 146, Figs, i and 2 ; 

 these are of the typical form. A rare aberration has the spots 

 and the hind wings more or less suffused with blackish (ab. 

 obscura, Tutt), but a still rarer variety has the crimson of spots 

 and hind wings replaced by yellow (ab. Intescens, Tutt). 



Newman in 1861 referred an Irish specimen to achilleo', but 

 a little later, after seeing other examples, in the same year he 

 changed the name to nubiginea. Birchall {E7it. Mo. Mag., 

 iii. pt. i.) figured four forms of the species from Ireland ; his 

 minos (Figs. 5^ and ^b) seems to represent two modifications of 

 ab. interriipta, Staudinger, in which form the red blotches are 

 widely separated or interrupted by the ground colour ; and his 

 nubigena is made up of more or less typical ptirpiiralis (Fig. 6^), 

 and a variety (Fig. 6(5), with red marks between the lower and 

 central blotches. 



The caterpillar (Plate 145, Fig. i) is dark green inclining to 

 olive above and paler below ; the spots are black (outer row) and 

 yellow (inner row) ; the line along the back is obscure whitish ; 

 hairs, whitish. It feeds on thyme and burnet saxifrage {Plm- 

 pinelld). Trifoliutn and Lotus have also been given among 

 other food plants. In late summer, and after hibernation, in 

 the spring. The moth flies in June, and is locally common in 

 Ireland (Clare and Galway), Wales (Abersoch), and Scotland 

 (Oban, Loch Etive). It has been reported from Tintagel, 

 Cornwall, and possibly, as suggested by Tutt, these Cornish 

 specimens may turn out to be Z. achillecE, the latest addition to 

 our small band of Burnets. Perhaps the Scottish specimens 

 recorded 2,s pJirpuralis , or at least some of them, may prove to 

 be achillecE. 



This species was figured by Briinnich, in 1763, :^s piirpuralis, 

 and authorities are now agreed that this name must be adopted 

 in place oi pilosellce, Esper (1781), or minos, Fuessly (1782). 



