DESCKIPTIVE NOTICES OF CONSPICUOUS SPECIES 169 



The perfect insect appears in July and August ; it 

 comes very freely to light. 



The closely allied Ground Lackey (Clisiocampa cas- 

 trensis) may be distinguished in the male by the pale 

 ochreous fore-wings, having the inner border of the 

 central dark band carried in a curve to the base of the 

 wing, as in Tnchiura crataegi, and by the hind-wings 

 being much darker than the fore -wings. It occurs on 

 the banks of the Thames below Erith. 



FAMILY VII. BOMBYCID.E. 

 ODONESTIS POTATORIA. THE DEINKER. 



Very common throughout the country, and occurring 

 freely in Scotland and Ireland. 



The expansion of the wings varies from 2 to 2J inches. 

 The male is of a reddish-yellow ; the fore-wings have two 

 darker transverse lines, one near the base, the other 

 obliquely from near the apex of the costa to the middle 

 of the inner margin ; in the central portion of the wings 

 are two white spots, placed one above the other. The 

 female is very much paler, sometimes almost pale ochre- 

 ous, but the markings are similar. 



The larva is dull, dark bluish-grey, with subdorsal 

 lines of orange spots ; along the spiracles are short white 

 tufts of hair, and oblique orange streaks ; it feeds on 

 various grasses, on sloping hedgebanks ; it commences 

 feeding in autumn, and may sometimes be seen alert in 

 the middle of winter, if the weather be very mild ; in the 

 months of April and May it grows very rapidly, and is 

 fed up towards the end of the latter month. 



The perfect insect appears in July and August ; it 

 occasionally enters houses, attracted by light. 



