276 THE MOTHS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



Lunar Thorn {Selenia lunaria). 



A female of this species is shown on Plate 112, Fig. 4 ; the 

 male is usually more clouded with reddish. A second genera- 

 tion is sometimes raised in captivity, and the males of this 

 brood (var. delunaria, Hiibner) are somewhat paler, whilst the 

 females incline to a yellowish tint. In Scotch specimens, the 

 reddish markings are tinged with purple ; and ab. sublunaria, 

 Stephens, from Derbyshire, has the coloration very similar to 

 that of the spring form of vS". tetralunaria. 



The caterpillar is figured on Plate 113, Fig. 2. The ground 

 colour is usually some shade of brown, ranging from greyish or 

 greenish to reddish, variegated with darker or paler clouds, and 

 with traces of pale lines on the back. It occurs in the open from 

 July to September, but may be reared both earlier and later in 

 confinement. It feeds on sloe, plum, oak, birch, etc. The 

 moth, in May and June, is sometimes seen on hedges or on the 

 plants growing below ; or it may be jarred from the branches 

 of trees, when it is more apt to fall to the ground than to fly. 

 Like others of this group it is fond of light, and is frequently 

 attracted thereto at night. The species is rarely plentiful, and 

 always more or less local, but it is widely distributed over the 

 British Isles to the Orkneys. 



Purple Thorn (Selenia tetralunaria). 



On Plate 112, Fig. 5 represents a specimen of the spring 

 brood, and Fig. 6 one of the summer brood (var. CEstiva, 

 Staudinger). The ground colour of the typical form is whitish, 

 sometimes tinged with grey, and sometimes with pinkish ; the 

 patch at the tip, and the basal two-thirds of the fore wings, also 

 the basal half of the hind wings, are purplish brown, varying 

 almost to blackish ; or they may be rich red brown. Var. 

 CBstiva is rarely whitish in ground colour, but this is frequently 



