254 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



Dentated Pug iColUx sparsafa). 



At one time this greyish brown species (Plate 102, Figs, i, 2) 

 was known by the English name of " Broom Scallop," but it is 

 now usually referred to, in the vulgar tongue, as the Dentated 

 Pug. The hind wings have their outer margins toothed rather 

 than scalloped, and the insect has nothing to do with broom. 



The rather long caterpillar is pale green, with four white 

 lines along the back, and one on each side ; a whitish stripe 

 along the black spiracles. Head, pale brown, rather flat above. 

 (Adapted from Porritt.) It feeds on the yellow loosestrife 

 {Lysiuiachia vulgaris)^ in July and August, or even later. 

 Fens and marshy woodlands are the haunts of the moth, which 

 is out in June and early July. It hides among the coarser 

 vegetation, and is not always easily disturbed therefrom ; neither 

 is it often noticed when on the wing at night, although it is 

 sometimes found at the flowers of buckthorn. 



Localities for the species are the fens of Cambridge and 

 Norfolk, the boggy parts of the New Forest, Hants ; Dorset 

 (Bloxworth and Hyde, etc.) ; Cheshire (Delamere Forest) ; 

 Yorkshire (bogs near York, and Thorne Waste). 



The range abroad extends to Japan. 



Dark Spinach (Pelurga comitata). 



The darker banded, pale ochreous species shown on Plate 102, 

 Figs. 3 5,4 $ , varies in the colour of the band to brownish ; 

 the central area of this band is almost always pale ochreous ci 

 whitish, to a greater or lesser extent. 



Caterpillar, stout and roughened ; ochreous inclining to 

 reddish, and tinged above with greenish ; a series of V-shaped 

 marks along the back, yellow oblique darker on the sides, and 

 a greyish edged pale wavy line low doAvn along the sides. 



