236 BEITISH BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS 



and with the thorax and anal plates pale reddish- 

 brown ; it feeds on flour, corn, etc. (making itself quite 

 at home in our flour chests), in April and May. 



The perfect insect appears in June, and keeps out 

 for some time ; we sometimes find it in houses and 

 stahles ; occasionally we see it at rest on palings ; it 

 comes very freely to light, as does also its congener 

 Pyralis glaucinalis. 



FAMILY VI. ENNYCHIM. 



PYRAUSTA PURPURALIS. THE CRIMSON 

 AND GOLD. 



(Plate XII., Fig. 2.) 



This pretty species is generally distributed, and com- 

 mon in the south of England, but seems less common 

 northwards ; it occurs, however, in the Cumberland Lake 

 district, and has been observed in Scotland in the Isle 

 of Arran ; in Ireland it appears to be common. 



The expansion of the wings is about j inch. The 

 fore-wings are purple, with a conspicuous deep yellow 

 curved band beyond the middle, which is formed by 

 three tolerably distinct spots; before this is a small 

 deep yellow central spot ; at the base of the wing the 

 purple ground-colour is rather suffused with yellowish ; 

 towards the hind margin is a faint pale yellow streak ; 

 the hind-wings are blackish, with a conspicuous pale 

 yellow band, preceded by a pale yellow spot ; towards 

 the hind margin is a short rosy streak. 



The larva is dark grey, with yellowish dorsal and 

 spiracular lines ; the spots are black, edged with white ; 

 it feeds on mint, marjoram, and other labiate plants in 

 June and July. 



