I20 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



The Riband Wave (Addalia {Ptychopodd) aversata). 



There are two distinct colour forms, one is greyish white 

 (ab. spoliata^ Staudinger), and the other decidedly ochreous ; 

 the former is sometimes tinged with ochreous, and sometimes 

 heavily sprinkled with dark grey. In the type form of aversata^ 

 the general colour is greyish white, and the space between the 

 central and outer lines of the fore wings, and that enclosed by 

 the first and central of the hind wings, is more or less entirely 

 filled up with dark g^ey inclining to blackish ; occasionally the 

 dark colour spreads beyond the outer line, and covers a large 

 portion of the outer area. These bands also occur in the 

 ochreous and intermediate colour forms. A specimen, bred in 

 June by Mr. W. G. Sheldon, from a caterpillar found on a fence 

 at West Wickham in May, had the wings and abdomen black, 

 but the head, thorax, anal tuft, and fringes of the wings were 

 normal. (Plate 46, Figs. 3-6.) 



The caterpillar (Plate 47, Fig. 2 ; from coloured drawing 

 by Mr. Sich) is much wrinkled, rather thickened behind, 

 and tapers gradually towards the small, black-flecked head ; 

 the general colour is brownish, merging into ochreous on the 

 hinder rings ; a darker brown shade along the back, interrupted 

 on the middle rings by V-shaped marks, encloses a slender 

 whitish line, and there is a whitish spot on ring eight ; a wavy 

 pale ochreous line low down along the sides. (Adapted from 

 Fenn.) It feeds on dandelion, dock, primrose, bedstraw, knot- 

 grass, and many other low-growing plants ; after hibernation, 

 from April to May, it will thrive on the young growth of sallow, 

 birch, hawthorn, etc. It will sometimes feed up and reach the 

 moth state in August or September. 



The moth flies in June and July, and is generally distributed ; 

 but in Scotland does not seem to have been observed north of 

 Moray. 



