38 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



The caterpillar is of a whitish-grey colour ; along the middle 

 of the back is a series of broad deep yellow triangles pointing 

 backwards, each edged on both sides by large confluent deep 

 black spots, usually forming a somewhat C-shaped marking, 

 which encloses another yellow spot, and below is followed by 

 several black spots ; behind all these, on each segment, is a 

 deep green transverse spotless band. The forms of the black 

 markings, composed of united spots, vary in the degree of union 

 of these spots ; each anterior spot is confluent with the posterior 

 one below it, but does not unite transversely with the others ; 

 in one variety they resemble tadpole forms united by the tails, 

 in another these tails are as thick as the spots and form blotched 

 curves ; and in still another they are so thick and confluent as 

 to include some of the side spots, thus completely edging two 

 sides of the yellow triangle with a blotched black border. 

 (Adapted from Buckler.) 



The striped Lychnis (Cucullia lychnitis). 



An example of each sex of this species is shown on Plate 15, 

 Figs. 4 and 5. The general colour of the fore wings is paler, 

 and the streaks along the front and inner margins are darker 

 than in C. -verbasci ; and the outer margins of the wings are less 

 jagged. 



The caterpillar (figured on Plate 18, Fig. 2, from a photo by 

 Mr. H. Main) is greenish white or yellow ; the rings are cross 

 banded with yellow and spotted with black ; usually the spots 

 are united as in the figure, sometimes they are smaller and well 

 separated, and occasionally all but those low down along the 

 sides are absent. Coupled with decrease in size and number of 

 the black spots, there is variation in the width of the yellow 

 bands. Verbascu7n nigrum is the more usual food plant in 

 Britain, but it will also eat V. lychnitis. It feeds, in July and 

 August, on the flowers and unripe seed capsules in preference 

 to the foliage. 



