THE GENERA OF BRITISH MOTHS. 125 
PLATE XLVI. 
No, 1.—The Lettered China-mark (Diasemia literalis). | No, 11.—The Orange Cloud (Nascia cilialis) 
No. 2,—The Beautiful China-mark (Hydrocampa Nympheata). No, 12.—The Rusty Dot (Udea ferrugalis). 
No. 3,—The Caterpillar of the Beautiful China-wark. | No. 13.—The Dingy Pearl (Mecyna asinalis). 
No. 4.—The Caterpillar in its leaf-case, No, 14.—The Rush Veneer (Nomophila Noctuella). 
No. 5.—The Ringed China-mark (Paraponyx Stratiotata). No. 15.—The Mother-of-Pearl (Botys verticalis). 
No. 6.—The Garden China-mark (Phlyctania Sambucalis). No. 16.—The Long-winged Pearl (Bolys lancealis). 
No. 7.—The Caterpillar of the Garden Chiua-mark. No. 17.—The Lesser Pearl (Epicorsia cinctalis). 
No. 8.—The Small Magpie (Eurrhypara Urticata). No. 18.—The Sulphur (Si/ochroa palealis). 
No. 9.—The Caterpillar of the Small Magpie. No. 19.—The Straw Dot (Rivula sericealis). 
No. 10.—The Rusty China-mark (Lbulea Verbascalis). | 
Tue fourth sub-family of the Pyralide is that of the Nymphalidi, containing three genera: Diasemia, 
Hydrocampa, and Paraponyx, all the Caterpillars of which are aquatic or semi-aquatie. 
The genus Diasemia may be considered the type of the pretty group of small Moths known to collectors 
as the China-marks. The fore wings are slender and slightly falcate. The antenne are short and ciliated. The 
labial palpi are close together, in a beak-like form, and pointing downwards. The body is slender, and 
extends rather beyond the wings. The Caterpillar is aquatic. There is but one British species. 
Diasemia literalis (the Lettered China-mark, No. 1), is taken in June and July in damp places. It has 
been recently captured at Lyndhurst, Sanderstead, and other places. 
The genus Hydrocampa. In this genus the antenne of the male are simple. The palpi rather short, 
close together, and pointing upwards. The hind wings are without a dark spotted margin. The Caterpillar is 
thicker in the middle, and is completely aquatic, as the name of the genus imports, being compounded of the 
Greek words ddpos (watery), and kaymrn (a caterpillar). It is generally found on the underside of the leaves of 
water lilies, enclosed in a flattened case. There are three species. 
Hydrocampa Nympheata (the Beautiful China-mark, No, 2). This is perhaps the most delicately marked 
of the genus, as the popular name imports; and it exhibits, in the clear brown markings on a white ground, 
that porcelain-like delicacy of tone which suggested the name of China-marks to our early collectors. The specific 
name, Nympheata, which is transferred by some writers to another species (the Brown China-mark), was no 
doubt adopted in allusion to the favourite food of the Caterpillars of some of this genus, the leaves of the White 
Water-lily, Nympheaalba. The Caterpillar of this species, however (No. 3), feeds upon the common Duck-weed, 
forming for itself a sort of protective case from the leaf of some other aquatic plant (see No. 4). It should 
be stated, however, that the Caterpillar here represented is supposed by some authors to belong to another species : 
and, indeed, the matter requires investigation, although the Moth itself isso common. It appears about June 
and July, and in damp places is common in all parts of the country. 
The other species are the following :—H. Potwmogata (the Brown China-mark), which is much larger, and 
the Caterpillar of which is the one known to feed upon the leaf of the Water-lily, or upon the Potamogeton, from 
which it takes its name; and H. Lemnata, (the Small China-mark), which is less even than H. Nympheata, and 
