239 



EUPITHECIA ABSYNTHIARIA. 



WORMWOOD PUG. 

 Plate XXX. Figure 8. 



THIS insect measures from rather above three quarters 

 of an inch to nearly an inch in expanse. 



Male: fore wings brownish grey, with a slight tinge 

 of reddish, and three black spots on the upper margin. 

 Third line a series of white dots ending in a white 

 spot at the lower corner. 



Localities for this species are York, Scarborough, Glas- 

 gow, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Barnstaple, Edinburgh, Exeter, 

 Manchester, Stowmarket, Birkenhead, Faversham, Lower 

 Guiting, Halton, Darlington, Lewes, and the Isle of Man. 



The situations where it is found are gardens. 



The perfect insect appears in June and July. 



The caterpillar is very variable yellowish-green, deep 

 rose-red, or dull reddish-brown, thickly studded with 

 minute white raised spots, with a range of reddish angular- 

 shaped spots along the back, generally faint or run 

 together towards the head and tail; these spots are 

 sometimes wanting in the green variety; on the sides are 

 a number of narrow slanting yellow stripes bordering 

 the spots on the back ; the side line yellow and waved ; 

 the divisions between the segments yellow. 



The date of the appearance of the caterpillar is in 

 August, September, October, and November. 



It feeds on the ragwort (Senecio jacobcea,} the hoary- 

 leaved ragwort {Senecio crucifolius,} the hemp agrimony 

 (Eupatorium cannalinum,} the mugwort (Artmisia vul- 

 garis,} the yarrow (Achillcea mittefolium,) the golden 

 rod (Solidago virgaurea,} &c. 



