894 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE 



[Insects. 



white spots o{ (lifTerent sizes ; the hinder wini^s are 

 yellowish, inoie or less spotted with black ; thorax 

 black ; Hlxlomen rufoti-i. with a dorsal and lateral 

 series ol' black s\x)\i. The caterpillar is dusky, with 

 blackish hairs and I'tilvuus tubercles; the head and 

 lees are red. It feeds on various plants, but prelers 

 chickweed. The perfect insect appears in Juno or 

 July. The males are frequently seen abroad on the 

 wine in the afternoon during warm weather; but 

 the female is indolent in its habits. 



The ground lackey moth, cat ei-])i liar, pupa, and 

 perfect insect (Clisi'ocampa caslrensi>). In the 

 genus Clisiocampa the wings are very acute at the 

 apex, reversed wrhen at rest, short in the male, 

 elongate in the female. The larva; are gregarious, 

 'wandering about irregularly in troops, and fre- 

 quently changing their silken tent. Before as- 

 suming their pupa state, they separate, and retire 

 each tD some retreat. The pupa is inclosed in a 

 double web of powdery silk. Ihis species of moth 

 seems to be limited to certain districts in our i.sland, 

 as the coasts of Essex, Kent, and Devonshire, and 

 the Isle of Shepney, being littoral in its habits, and 

 never found in tne midland counties. Itvariescon- 

 siderably in its markings. The thorax is yellowish, 

 the abdomen tawny ; the anterior wings of a stiaw- 

 colour, with two tawny or chestnut stripes, some- 

 times united, sometimes forming two distinct bars 

 across the wing. The posterior wings are fawn- 

 coloured, with an obscure streak across. The female 

 is larger, and of a darker colour. The caterpillar is 

 hairy, and bluish, with irregular red and black 

 streaks above, and red lateral lines. It feeds on 

 various plants, as sea-wormwood (Artemisia mari- 

 tiraa), birch, plantain, carrot, &c. It undergoes its 

 pupa change m July, and the perfect insect appears 

 in August. 



The glory of Kent, caterpillar, pupa, and perfect 

 insect (Endromis versicolora). This beautiful little 

 moth is very local in its range in our island, and by 

 no means common in any district. 



In the male, the thorax is white and fulvous, the 

 body fulvous, with a black patch on the second seg- 

 ment. The anterior wings are grey, with two dusky 

 stripes across, with a black lunule between them. 

 At the apex of the wings are three triangular, serai- 

 transparent, white spots, and each nervure has a 

 dilated whitish streak. The posterior wings are 

 orange-tawny, with an undulated dusky stripe and 

 central lunule ; there is also a dusky patch on the 

 anterior margin bordered with white. The female 

 is larger than the male, and of a paler colouring. 

 Expansion of wings two inches and four or six lines ; 

 it often exceeds three inches. 



Fig. 3725 represents a group of moths of the 

 Geometric family (Geometridae), so called, as we 

 have before shown, from the movements and atti- 

 tudes of the caterpillars : — 1, the Swallow-tail moth 

 (Ourapleryx sanibucaria) ; 2, the Lunar thorn moth 

 (Geometra lunaria) ; 3, the common V'-moth (Gram- 

 matopliora vanaria) : 4, the large Emerald moth 

 {Hipparchus papilionarius) ; 5, the Lilac beauty 

 (Pericallia syringaria^ ; G, the Blood-veined moth 

 (Bradyeptes amataiia) ; 7, the Mottled Lumber moth 

 (Hibernia defoliaria). 



The Swallow-tail moth (Ourapteryx sambucaria), 

 perfect insect, caterpillar, and pupa. 



The genus Ourapteryx contains onlv one European 

 «nd about six exotic species, distinguished at once 

 by the form of the posterior wings, which terminate 

 each in an elongated tail-like process, as in several 

 cliumal butterflies. 



The swallow-tail moth is spread over the whole 

 of Europe, and is not uncommon in the woods and 

 larger gardens of our island ; it is frequent about 

 Paris. The flight of this moth is very rapid, but it 

 is seldom seen abroad by day, the hours of dusk 

 and those preceding twilight being its times of ac- 

 tivity. The caterpillar is of a cinnamon brown, 

 furrowed longitudinally, and presenting three tu- 

 bercles, two placed laterally on the sixth ring, and 

 one above on the ninth. It lives principally on fruit- 

 trees, but it is said to feed also on the leaves of the 

 elder, whence the name Sambucaria ; there is reason, 

 however, for doubting the truth of this statement. 

 The pupa suspends itself from the branch by means 

 of several delicate tilaments of silk, to which a frail 

 cocoon is attached, consisting of silk interwoven with 

 bits of dry and withered leaves. The moth comes 

 forth at the end of June or the beginning of July. 

 The wings are of a pale yellow above, powdered with 

 greenish grey, and marked with three transverse 

 streaks of dusky yellow. The two first streaks are 

 nearly straight, and in the interval between them is 

 a little dusky crescentic mark ; the third streak is 

 somewhat tlexuous. At the base of the posterior 

 angle of the hinder wings are two black spots, of 

 which the outermost is ocellated with a rufous pupil. 

 The fringe of the upper wings is rufous. Expansion 

 of wings from two inches to three and a half. 



The lunar thorn molh (Geometra lunaria), perfect 

 insect, catci-pillar. and pupa. 



This species not only varies greatly in size, but in 



colouring, the general tint being sometimes of a pale 

 ochre yellow, more or less varied and sprinkled with 

 rufous, sometimes of a lively orange, and sometimes 

 of a beautiful rose red. Generally each wing is 

 marked in the centre with a little white transparent 

 crescent ; and sometimes the crescent exists only 

 on the upper wings, sometimes on the under wings. 

 This circumstance, joined with other differences, 

 has induced many to consider the varieties of this 

 moth as distinct species, but it is proved, by rearing 

 the caterpillars till the perfect moth appears, that, 

 vary as the latter may, they aie all referable to the 

 same species. 



The caterpillar varies greatly in its colour, and 

 often assumes that of the young shoots of the tree 

 or bush on which it lives. 



In England the lunar thorn moth is by no means 

 a common species. 



The common V-moth (Giammatophora vanaria), 

 perfect insect, caterpillar, and pupa. 



This moth is very common in gardens around 

 London, and in most other jiarls of England, where 

 the caterpillar commits extensive ravages on goose- 

 berry-bushes, stripping them of their leaves, on which 

 it feeds. During some years it swarms in hosts, 

 which prove very destructive. The colour of the 

 moth is subject to variety ; in general Ihe wings are 

 of an ashy grey, powdered with a darker tint, and 

 mottled with four black spots on the anterior edge, 

 whence a faint slender line extends from the second 

 to a mark like the letter V. On the outer edge the 

 wings have a dusky wash. In some varieties the 

 wings are white, marbled with cinereous : in others 

 they are of a sooty black. The caterpillar is green- 

 ish, spotted with black, and with a dorsal line of 

 yellow, and lateral lines of the same colour. The 

 pupa is brown. 



The large Emerald moth (Hipparchus Papiliona- 

 rius), perfect insect, caterpillar, and pupa. 



This species is remarkable among the geometric 

 moths from its great size, its beautiful green colour, 

 and the elegant contour of its wings, which resemble 

 those of a diurnal butterfly. Like the butterfly, it 

 raises up its wings durins> repose, and it is from this 

 circumstance that Linnaeus gave it the title of 

 Papilionaria. It is not a common insect in; our 

 island. 



The emerald moth has the wings of a fine grass 

 green, the anterior pair having two or three inter- 

 rupted transverse marks of grey, the posterior wings 

 generally two such stripes. The antennae are red- 

 dish white. The caterpillar is sluggish in its move- 

 ments, and feeds on the leaves of various trees, as 

 the lime, birch, alder, hazel, &c. ; it is of a green 

 colour, with a yellowish lateral line and red tu- 

 bercles on the back. The pupa is elongated, and of 

 a reddish brown colour. The perfect insect appears 

 about the middle of July. 



The Lilac Beauty (Pericallia syringaria), perfect 

 insect, caterpillar, and pupa. 



The lilac beauty is by no means a common spe- 

 cies in our island, but has been captured in various 

 })Iaces : it is far more abundant in France, and may 

 be found in the gardens about Paris. The anterior 

 wings are varied with yellowish and grey, and tinted 

 with purple or purplish rose-colour ; on the anterior 

 edge are some purplish white dashes, and a little 

 before the middle is an angular violaceous stripe, 

 with two others behind common to both the wings ; 

 of these the tirst stripe is brown, the second brown 

 and violet, with some black spots on the posterior 

 wings, towards the inner margin. Towards the 

 apex of the anterior wings is a violaceous lunular 

 spot. The posterior wings are of a greyer tint. The 

 female exceeds the male in size, and is of a paler 

 colour. 



The caterpillar of this elegant species is remark- 

 able from the oddity of its form and its attitude 

 during repose. Instead of keeping its body straight 

 and stitt', as is the ciise generally with those of the 

 geometric group of moths, it folds itself into a 

 curved line, with the head a little raised up. Its 

 colour is generally brownish red, with a black dorsal 

 band extending over the four first rings. Its form 

 is thick, and a long slender horn is carried on the 

 seventh ring. Besides this horn, there are two little 

 conical tubercles on each of the fifth and sixth 

 lings, and on the sixth and seventh two little white 

 excrescences. 



It feeds on the lilac, the jasmine, and privet ; and 

 hence the moth frequents gardens, and parks, and 

 pleasure-grounds, rather than woods or fields. 



The pupa is ncit less remarkable than the cater- 

 pillar : it is of a short figure, and is almost rounded 

 anteriorly, broad in the middle, and terminates ab- 

 ruptly in a point. It is of a dull yellow tint, with 

 the upper parts chestnut. It is always found fixed 

 perpendicularly, the head upwards, to a young twig, 

 and is retained in its position by a number of threads, 

 which are united together at ils apex. 



The Blood-veined molh (Bradyeptes amataiia), 

 perfect insect, caterpillar, and pupa. 



The genus, founded by Mr. Stevens for this spe- 



cies, is characterized by the very acute anterior 

 angle of the wings, and the angulated hinder mar- 

 gin of the posterior wings, combined with the oblique 

 stripes which pass through their disc, from the apex 

 of the anterior wings to the inner edge of the pos- 

 terior. The blood-veined moth is rather local in its 

 distribution in our island, being extremely abundant 

 in some places and rare in others. It is common in 

 France. Its flight is slujij^ish. The wings are of a 

 pale yellowish grey, finely powdered with brown, 

 with a very oblique purple red or sanguineous streak 

 crossing both wings from the apex of the anterior to 

 the middle of the inner edge of the second pair. 

 At the base of the anterior wings is a pale brown 

 transverse stripe, and a dusky stripe at the posterior 

 margin of both wings winds flexuous from the apex 

 of the fore wings. The edges are frin(jed with red, 

 and in fine specimens the hinder margin of all the 

 wings is beautifully suffused with a rich sanguineous 

 puri)le. 



The caterpillar is very singular; it is cylindrical, 

 but little elongated, with the fourth, the fifth, and 

 the sixth rings much thicker than the others; the 

 head is small, and buried under the first ring The 

 ground colour is umber, with several yellow streaks, 

 one of which is dorsal and longitudinal, interrupted 

 by black, and crossed by other lines forming lozenge- 

 shaped marks on the intermediate rings, and bor- 

 dered with black. It lives on various trees and 

 shrubs, as the hazel, whitethorn, &c. 



The chrysalis is also very curious; it is of a slen- 

 der form, with a notch at the head. It is generally 

 found enveloped in a slight network or thin tissue 

 between leaves. The perfect insect appears in 

 July. 



'Jhe Mottled Umber moth (Hibernia defoliaria), 

 perfect insect, winged male and wingless female, 

 caterpillar, and pupa. 



In the genus Hibernia the anterior wings are long 

 and thin in the male ; in the female the wings are 

 either wanting or very rudimentary. The species 

 are all autumnal, beginning to appear as perfect 

 insects at the fall of the leaf. 



The mottled umber moth is common all over 

 Europe. In our island it abounds around the me- 

 tropolis, frequenting gardens, orchards, woods, and 

 copses. It is subject to considerable variety. The 

 female is wingless, yellow, and dotted with black. 

 The caterpillars swarm during some years, and 

 become extremely destructive in orchards, ship- 

 ping the fruit-trees of their leaves ; this is particu 

 farly the case in France, where they have occasion- 

 ally committed great havoc. 



The females of this moth— being unable to fly 

 from the absence of wings— remain fixed on the 

 twigs or branches of the tree, the pupa having there 

 undergone its change ; and they deposit their eggs 

 on the leaves in countless numbers, whence in the 

 spring issue destructive hordes, of the effects of 

 which the leaves of pear-trees often present mourn- 

 ful evidence. 



Fig. 3726 represents — 1, the dark crimson under- 

 wing (Catocala sponsa) ; 2, the silver Y-mouth 

 (Plusia gamma) ; 3, the green silver-line molh (Hy- 

 lophyla prasinana^ ; 4, the green brindled crescent 

 moth (Miselia oxyacanthae) ; 5, the sallow moth 

 (Xanthia cerago) ; 6, the spotted .«ulphur moth 

 (Erastria sulphurea) ; 7, the large holly moth (Sar- 

 rothripus ilicanus). 



The dark crimson underwing (Catocala sponsa) 

 Perfect insect, caterpillar, and pupa. 



The moths placed by entomologists under the ge- 

 nus Catocala are among the largest and the most 

 beautiful of European Lepidoptera. They are active 

 and vigorous, and fly during the day if even slightly 

 disturbed; as evening approaches they are ali ani- 

 mation, darting along with great rapidity. During 

 repose the wings are slightly deflxeed, and a litlle 

 expanded, forming a broad triangle ; their edges 

 are deeply crenate, and the posterior pair are mostly 

 of a brilliant crimson, with black fasciae and mar- 

 gins. 



In our island the dark crimson underwing is rather 

 local in its distribution. In France it is occasion- 

 ally very abundant in the oak woods, and is com- 

 mon in Hungary. The female exceeds the male in 

 size, but both sexes are subject to variations both of 

 magnitude and colouring, whence some naturalists 

 have increased the number of nominal species. 

 Generally the head and thorax are deep fuscous, 

 freckled with black ; the anterior wings are of a 

 deep yellowish ash-colour, clouded with fuscous and 

 with dark transverse undulated streaks, two of which 

 in the middle of the wings are considerably angu- 

 lated ; and between them is a yellowish white patch 

 representing marks somewhat resembling Ihe letters 

 J.G. Between these and the inner niarsin is a pale 

 rhombic or somewhst rounded spot, flavescent or 

 cinereous, edged with blackish. The posterior 

 wings are of a rich crimson with a narrow flexuous 

 black fascia and a posterior broad belt with a fuscous 

 fringe. The caterpillar is of a brownish red, varie- 

 gated with pale blue ; some of the anterior as well 



