THE WORMWOOD. 4^ 



The caterpillar, which feeds on the flowers and seeds of 

 wormwood {Artemisia absinthitim) and will eat mugwort {A. 

 vulgaris), is best found on sunny days. It is yellowish green, 

 suffused with purplish grey on the back of each ring ; there are 

 three pale green lines along the back, and an ochreous grey 

 plate on ring i. To be found in August and early September, 

 but on dull days it must be sought for among the lower leaves, 

 or on the ground. When resting among the flowers it so 

 closely harmonises with them that it might easily escape 

 detection. 



The moth is out in July. 



The species is perhaps most abundant on the South Devon- 

 shire coast, but its range extends into Cornwall, and eastward 

 to the Isle of Portland and the Isle of Wight ; it is not un- 

 common along the coasts of North Devon (Lee and Croyde), 

 Somerset (Minehead), and South Wales. It has also been 

 recorded from North Wales, and from parts of the Suffolk 

 coast. In Ireland, a specimen was taken in a garden at 

 Cromlyn, Westmeath, in 1873, and more recently two specimens 

 of the moth, and also some caterpillars, were obtained at 

 Timoleague, Cork. 



CucuUia artemisicd {ahrotani). 



This species, of which a Continental example is represented 

 on Plate 16, Fig. 3, is apparently exceedingly rare in this 

 country, and most probably is not a native. 



In the collection of the late Dr. Mason, which was dispersed 

 at Stevens' in 1905, there were three specimens, each of which 

 had seemingly been included among series of C. absinihii 

 purchased at three separate sales. A fourth specimen, also 

 mixed with C. absinthii^ was in the collection of the late Rev. 

 H. Burney. Two other specimens have been reported from 

 Devonshire, where, it is said, they were found sitting on a fence. 



