Il8 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



Portland Ribbon Wave [Acidalia {Ptychopoda) 

 degenerarid). 



This reddish-banded species (Plate 46, Fig. i) is only found, in 

 Britain, at Torquay, Devon, and in the Isle of Portland, Dorset, 

 where it was first noted on June 24th, 1831. It will be seen 

 that apart from its different colour, the bands in this moth are 

 placed nearer the base of the wings than in A. aversata; on the 

 fore wings the band is limited by the first and central lines, but 

 sometimes it encroaches on the basal area ; on the hind wings, 

 it occupies more or less of the basal area, from the first line 

 inwards ; the front edge of the fore wings is also reddish. 



The caterpillar is ridged along the sides of the roughened 

 body, and tapers towards the slightly notched, blackish marked 

 head ; the general colour is reddish-ochreous, darker on the 

 back of the middle rings, along which are three interrupted 

 pale greyish ochreous lines, and dark V-shaped marks. The 

 natural food plant is not known, but it may be reared from the 

 ^%% on bramble, traveller's joy {Clematis\ and, of course, knot- 

 grass and dandelion, both of these plants being generally 

 acceptable to larvae of the Acidaliinae, as well as to those of 

 many other species of Geometridas. 



The moth is out in June and July in the open, but has 

 been bred as early as June 2. Some of the caterpillars from 

 eggs laid in June will feed up quickly, and produce moths in 

 September; from these, other eggs may be obtained, the 

 caterpillars from which will feed for a time and then hibernate ; 

 as also do the slow-growing individuals of the earlier hatching. 



Abroad, this seems to be a Mediterranean species, ranging 

 eastward through Asia Minor to parts of Central Asia ; and 

 northwards to Austro-Hungary, Castile, France, and West 

 Central Germany. 



