204 BBITISH BUTTERFLIES AND 



FAMILY XII. HELIOTHID.E. 



HELIOTHIS MARGINATA. THE BOKDERED 

 SALLOW. 



(Plate VIII., Fig. 6.) 



This handsome species seems tolerably common in 

 several parts of the country, and though most of the 

 localities given for it are in the south of England, yet 

 it occurs at least as far north as Birkenhead. 



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

 fore-wings are of a pale brownish-ochreous, darker, 

 and with a purple tinge, towards the hind-margin; 

 the transverse lines and veins, and the outlines of the 

 stigmata, are distinctly darker than the ground-colour ; 

 the hind-wings are whitish-ochreous, with a broad, 

 blackish border and central lunule ; the veins are also 

 blackish, and the base is sometimes suffused with 

 blackish. 



The larva varies much in colour, the usual form is 

 pale green, dotted with white ; the dorsal line is of a 

 bluish -green, the subdorsal lines are slender and white, 

 and the spiracular line yellow. It feeds quite exposed 

 on restharrow in August. 



The perfect insects make their appearance towards 

 the end of May and during June, and may be occa- 

 sionally met with flying over flowers; they come to 

 sugar occasionally. 



To the same family belongs the pretty heath - 

 frequenting Anarta Myrtilli (the Beautiful Yellow 

 Underwing), which darts about vigorously during the 

 hottest sunshine ; the smaller Heliodes Arbuti flies 

 more sluggishly in meadows. 



