350 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



present day are Wicken and Chippenham fens in Cambridge- 

 shire, but specimens from these locahties are somewhat smaller 

 than the old Hunts examples. Barrett states that he put down 

 some eggs of the species in Ranworth Fen, Norfolk, and that five 

 years later two males were captured within a short distance of 

 the spot where the eggs had been placed. 



The range abroad extends to China and Japan. 



SESIID.'E. 



This family — the ^geriad^ of some authors — has over one 

 hundred Palasarctic species assigned to it ; these are distributed 

 among five genera, two of which are not represented in Britain. 

 Fourteen species are found in the British Isles, but to obtain 

 fine specimens of most of them the mature caterpillars or the 

 chrysahds will have to be collected and the moths reared. All 

 species emerge from the chrysalis early in the forenoon, and then 

 only under the influence of sunshine. 



The caterpillars are somewhat maggot-like, and live in 

 stems, branches, and roots of trees and shrubs ; or in the 

 crowns and roots of low-growing plants. The majority, 

 possibly all, are nearly two years in arriving at full growth. 



Hornet Moth {Trochilium apiformis). 



As indicated by the Enghsh name this moth, and also that 

 next to be mentioned, are very like the hornet ( Vespa crabro). 

 On turning to Plate 154, Fig. i, it will be seen that this species 

 has a yellow head and patches of yellow on the shoulders ; 

 these characters at once separate it from T. crabronifor7nis. 



The caterpillar is yellowish white, with a red brown head, 

 and a yellow plate on the first ring of the body. It feeds on 

 the roots and lower portion of the trunks of poplar. The 



