YELLOW BELLE. 33 1 



margin ; this is sometimes faint, but rarely quite absent. The 

 hind wings are paler and have a dusky central dot and incom- 

 plete band. The caterpillar, which in shape is somewhat similar 

 to that of the next species, is ochreous grey mclining to pinkish 

 on the sides ; a dark almost blackish line along the middle of 

 the back is edged on each side with pale ochreous, and there 

 are other pale and dark lines along the sides. It feeds on 

 thyme, cinquefoil, yarrow, and other low-growing plants ; it may 

 be reared on knot grass : September to June. The moth is out 

 in July and August, and, although very local, is not uncommon 

 on downs and hilly fields on the chalk in Kent and Surrey — 

 Dover, Folkestone, and Rochester in the former county, and 

 Leatherhead, Box Hill, and Reigate in the latter, are the best- 

 known localities. It has also been reported from Sussex 

 (Brighton, Horsham, near Polgate, Shoreham). In Devonshire 

 ft is said to occur at Braunton and Ilfracombe, but is scarce. 

 In his catalogue of the Lepidoptera of Suffolk (1890) the Rev. 

 E. N. Bloomfield notes the species as very plentiful in clover 

 fields about Tuddenham. Also recorded from Somerset, 

 Gloucestershire, Cheshire (West Kirby and Hale), and from 

 near Harrow in Middlesex. 



Very local and scarce in Ireland (Kane). 



The range abroad extends to East Siberia and Amurland. 



Yellow Belle {Aspilates ochrearia). 



As will be seen from Fig. 5 ^ on Plate 144, this species differs 

 from the last in its yellower colour and rather smaller size ; the 

 fore wings have two cross bands, generally well dchned, but 

 in the male they are sometimes very faint and slender, and 

 specimens have been recorded in which the bands were missing. 



The roughened caterpillar, figured on Plate 142, from a 

 coloured drawing by Mr. A. Sich, is pale ochreous brown, lined 

 and striped with darker brown. It feeds on wild carrot, plantain. 



