THE PLAIN GOLDEN Y. 69 



flight has been noted in Ireland by Kane and others ; and late 

 examples have also been recorded from Scotland. 



Although it has been recorded from some of the southern 

 counties, it is most frequent in the eastern and northern parts of 

 England, and in South Wales. Occurs throughout Scotland up 

 to Moray ; and in Ireland it is found in most localities, though 

 not often common, except by the sea in Co. Kerry, and in 

 Connamara, Co. Galway. 



Abroad, it extends to East Siberia, Amurland, and Japan. 



The Plain Golden Y {Plusia iota). 



In typical specimens the metallic mark is V-shaped, with a 

 dot below and a little to one side (Plate 24, Fig. 8). In ab. 

 percontationis, Treit. (Fig. 7), these spots are united and form a 

 Y-like mark. Sometimes the spot is absent and the V-mark 

 much reduced, and more rarely the V also disappears (ab. 

 inscripta^ Esp.). 



The larva is yellowish green, white dotted, with a white- 

 edged darker line along the middle of the back ; a band com- 

 posed of whitish irregular lines runs along the sides, and a thin 

 yellow line along the area of the spiracles. It hatches from 

 the ^%g in the late summer, hibernates when quite small, and 

 feeds up in the spring. The food plants comprise the dead 

 nettles {Laimtwi)^ woundwort {Stachys), mint, stinging nettle, 

 honeysuckle, hawthorn, etc. There is a record of sixteen larvae 

 which hibernated among dead leaves of Lainhim alburn^ re- 

 sumed feeding on February 18, spun up April 23-25, and 

 produced moths May 27 — June 4. Usually the moth is on the 

 wing in June and July. 



The species seems to be pretty widely distributed through- 

 out the British Isles to the Orkneys ; it was not known to occur 

 in the Hebrides until 1901, when McArthur obtained it in the 

 Isle of Lewis. 



