174 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



wings are dark greyish brown, inclining to blackish in some 

 females, and there is a blackish central dot and two or three 

 curved lines. 



The long caterpillar is yellowish green, with an interrupted 

 red line along the middle of the back ; two green points on 

 last ring are usually pink-tipped. It feeds on oak, birch, ash, 

 sloe, apple, etc., in July and August. 



The moth occurs in woodlands, but is not easily disturbed in 

 the daytime from its lurking-place in bush or tree. In the 

 autumn it may be found at ivy-bloom, and in the spring, after 

 hibernation, has been taken at sallow. 



The species appears to be widely distributed over England 

 and Wales, Scotland up to Moray, and Ireland. 



Autumn Green Carpet {Cidaria miatd). 



Somewhat similar to the last, but the general colour of the 

 fore wings is paler, inclining to whitish, and the basal patch and 

 central band are pale green tinged with greyish ; there is no 

 rosy suffusion, but the wavy sub-marginal Hne is distinctly 

 white. The hind wings are greyish white, with black discal 

 dot, and dark-grey curved lines. (Plate 68, Figs. 5, 6.) 



The caterpillar is pale green, inclining to yellowish, especially 

 between the rings, and with a more or less distinct dark-green 

 line along the middle of the back ; the points on the last ring 

 are pinkish brown, and there is a line of the same colour along 

 the centre of the under surface of the body. 



It feeds on alder, birch, oak, sallow etc., and may be beaten 

 out from June to August. 



The moth is out in September and October, when it may 

 be obtained at ivy-bloom, and in the following spring, after 

 hibernation, it visits sallow catkins. 



The range in the British Isles agrees pretty closely with that 

 of the last species, but in Scotland it extends to the Hebrides 

 and to the Orkneys and Shetlands. 



