THE MOTHS 

 OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



NOCTUID^. 



TRIFIN^ {continued). 

 The Heart Moth {Dicyda od). 



A male specimen of the ordinary form of this moth is shown 

 on Plate 2, Fig. i. Ab. renago^ Ha worth has the space 

 between the central shade and the submarginal line more or 

 less suffused with dusky or reddish grey. An intermediate 

 form (Fig. 2) has a transverse band of darker colour between 

 the second and submarginal lines of the fore wings (ab. fer- 

 ruginago^ Hiibn.). The ground colour varies from a whitish 

 or straw-yellow to reddish yellow (ab. rufescens, Tutt), and the 

 markings are more distinct in some specimens than in others. 



The caterpillar, which feeds from April to early June on the 

 foliage of the oak, is black above and brownish beneath ; there 

 are three white lines on the back, the central one widest and 

 more or less interrupted ; the stripe along the black-outlined 

 reddish spiracles is yellowish-white ; head, and plate on first ring 

 of the body, black and shining. 



The moth appears about the end of June or early July, and 

 has been noted, in good condition, as late as August 17. It 

 seems to be of very local occurrence in England, but some of 



Series II. n 



