FIERY CLEARWING, 359 



Thrift Clearwing (Seshi muscceformis). 



This is our smallest species of the genus, and it is further 

 distinguished by narrow clear spaces on the blackish, or bronzy, 

 fore wings, three whitish bands on the body, and traces of a 

 whitish line along the middle of the back. (Plate 155, Fig. 7.) 



The caterpillar feeds on the roots of thrift or sea-pink {Ar?neria 

 vulgaris)^ and is full grown about June. The moth is out in 

 June and July, and seems to have a liking for the flowers of 

 thyme. 



This species (also known as philantJiiformis^ Laspeyres) 

 frequents rocky places on the coasts of Devon (Torquay, 

 Lynmouth, etc.), Cornwall, Wales ; Isle of Man ; Scotland 

 (Aberdeenshire) ; and Ireland (Saltee Islands, Wexford, and 

 Seven Heads, Cork. Gregson recorded it from Howth). 



Fiery Clearwing {Sesia chrysidiformis). 



The orange red colour on the fore wings, and of the tail tuft, 

 at once distinguish this species (Plate 155, Figs. 8 J, 9 $) from 

 either of its British allies. The blackish body has two pale- 

 yellow belts, but in the male the lower one is often double. As 

 a rule, the body of the female is stouter than that of the male, 

 but the bodies of some males appear quite as thick as those of 

 the females, and the true sex is only disclosed by the ciliated 

 antennae, which is a character of the male alone. 



The caterpillar feeds on the roots of dock and sorrel, and 

 it is full grown about May. In June and July the moth is on 

 the wing and flies in the sunshine, about noon, over the food 

 plants. 



The species occurs not uncommonly in the Warren at Folke- 

 stone, Kent. This locality, well known to entomologists, is a 

 long stretch of rough broken ground lying between the railway 



