196 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS 



It feeds in May and June on oak, birch, etc., and 

 should be carefully avoided by the collector, as it is 

 extremely apt to devour other larvas that happen to be 

 domiciled with it. 



The perfect insect appears in July and August, and 

 is very frequently beaten from the branches of trees in 

 the daytime ; it comes freely to sugar. 



FAMILY X. HADENID^E. 



HECATERA SERENA. THE BEOAD-BAEEED 

 WHITE. 



(Plate VIII., Fig. 3.) 



This is pretty generally distributed in the south of 

 England, but it is of rare occurrence in the north ; in 

 Ireland it has occurred at Howth and in the county of 

 Wicklow. 



The expansion of the wings is about 1J inch. The 

 fore-wings are white, with a broad, blackish band 

 across the centre, the two stigmata appearing as pale 

 spots in this dark band ; the hind margin is clouded 

 with pale grey. 



The larva is grey, with a dorsal row of dark-grey 

 spots ; the incisions of the segments are whitish. It 

 feeds on lettuce, sow-thistle, and allied plants in 

 August. 



The perfect insect appears towards the end of June 

 and beginning of July ; it may sometimes be found on 

 the trunks of trees or on palings, its contrast of colours 

 making it very conspicuous. (The late Mr. J. F. 

 Stephens records having once found several dozens on 

 the trunk of a pollard ash ; this was probably a case of 

 " assembling," like those alluded to at page 54.) It 

 also comes to sugar, and rather freely to light. 



