Insects.] 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



3'J5 



as the posterior segments are tuberculated. The 

 pupa is bluish, and the insect appears towards the 

 end of June. 



The silver Y-moth (Phisia gamma). Perfect in- 

 sect, caterpillar, and pupa. The Plusiae are bril- 

 liant moths, eminently distinguished for the splen- 

 dour and richness of their colouring ; all the species 

 have the wings more or less adorned with metallic 

 pencillings, dots, or bands, upon a rich purplish or 

 rufo-fulvescent ground. The thorax lias a full 

 crest, and the upper surface of the body is gene- 

 rally furnished with tufts of hair, like scales. In 

 their habits these moths are diurnal ; and they glit- 

 ter in the sun as they extract the nectar from their 

 favourite flowers, exposing their gorgeous liveries 

 to view, and flitting about with great address and 

 elegance. It is indeed a general rule, that animals 

 attired in a brilliant dress affect the full blaze 

 of day, while those of sombre hues or of dusky 

 markings come forth with the shades of evening, 

 with the gloom of which their colours harmonize. 

 The caterpillars in walking bend their backs, and 

 are hence termed half-loopers ; they spin a delicate 

 silken web, and change to a shining pupa, armed 

 with a sharp spine at the apex. The present spe- 

 cies is common m most parts of England, and is 

 spread not only over Europe, but extends its range 

 through a great part of Asia, and a closely allied 

 species exists in North America. It is active on 

 the wing during the early part of the day, and also 

 in the afternoon, both before and after dusk. The 

 general colour of the body is deep ashy grey. The 

 anterior wings are varied with griseous and roseate 

 fuscous, often with a silvery tinge. On the disk, 

 which is almost black, is a little silvery mark, having 

 the form of the Greek letters y or a., or the English 

 letter Y. The hinder wings are of a dusky grey, 

 with a blackish marginal band. The caterpillar is 

 green, with a brown head, a lateral yellow streak, 

 and six white dorsal lines. It feeds on a great 

 variety of herbage. 



The green silver-line moth(Hylophilaprasinana). 

 Perfect insect, caterpillar, and pupa. 



This species belongs to the Tortricidae of Ste- 

 phens, a family of small moths remarkaljle for the 

 great variation to which the species are subject. 

 During repose they rest with slightly deflexed 

 wings, and from the breadth and shortness of the 

 wings assume a bell-like form. The ]ar\8e gene- 

 rally reside within the covert of a leaf, which they 

 have rolled up so as to form an envelope. Some, 

 however, live in the pulp of fruits : they are very 

 active, and run with great rapidity either backwards 

 or forwards. 



The green silver-line moth is not uncommon in 

 the woods around London and in other parts of 

 England, and extends over the whole of temperate 

 Europe. The anterior wings are green, with three 

 oblique streaks of white ; thorax green, with four 

 white stripes. In the male the anterior margin of 

 the apex and hinder margin are fulvous. Posterior 

 wings yellowish white. 



Both sexes vary considerably in the intensity of 

 colour. 



The caterpillar is pale yellowish green, with a 

 yellow lateral line, and minute dark specks; two 

 red lines at the tail. It feeds on the oak, ash. alder, 

 beecti, &c. The pupa is reddish brown, sprinkled 

 with an ashy powder: it is enclosed in a firm silken 

 cocoon. The perfect insect appears in June. 



The green brindled crescent moth (Miselia oxya- 

 canthac). 



This species is one of the most beautiful of its 

 genus ; it is, however, far from being uncommon ; 

 but from the lateness of its flight is seldom seen on 

 the wing : on the continent it is widely spread. 



The anterior wings are of a beautiful yellowish 

 brown, prettily varied with pale reddish and green ; 

 the latter colour predominating on the inner mar- 

 gin. Two blotches, of large size and irregular form, 

 are of a pale colour : under the orbicular blotch is a 

 third blotch of an oval form ; a dusky line crosses 

 the base of the wing, followed by an undulated 

 stripe. The under wings are of a greyish yellow, 

 tinged with rufous at their extremity, and fringed 

 with yellow. The colouring is subject to variety. 



The caterpillar is fuscous varied with black and 

 white. It feeds on various plants, especially the 

 black and white thorns: it moves slowly, and hav- 

 ing eaten its fill, it quietly seeks the angle of a twig 

 or branch for repose ; and its colour blending with 

 that of the bark of the tree, it is not readily detected. 

 Generally four or five individuals are associated to- 

 gether. About the month of July it envelopes 

 Itself in a cocoon, sometimes among the leaves, 

 sometimes on the ground. The moth appears at 

 the end of September or the beginning of Novem- 

 ber. 



The sallow moth (Xanthia cerago), Xanthia ful- 

 Tago, Stephens. 



This species is common around London and in 

 other parts of England, and is spread on the Con- 

 tinent, but is more abundant in Germany than in 

 Vol. II. 



France. It is subject to great variety. The anterior 

 wings are always of a lively yellow, with marblings 

 of a cinnamon colour, sometimes very decided, 

 sometimes almost obliterated. The hinder wings 

 are entirely of a dull white ; and both these and the 

 upper are of this hue underneath, with a wash of 

 yellow on the edges. 



The caterpillar is of a greyish brown, with a 

 white longitudinal streak on each side of the body, 

 and a black mark varied with white on the first 

 ring. It lives principally on the birch, or on the 

 willow, on the catkins of whichit feeds till the leaves 

 become developed. It assumes a pupa state pro- 

 tected by a cocoon of agglutinated earth. The per- 

 fect insect appears in August or September. 



The spotted sulphur moth (Erastria sulphurea). 

 Perfect insect, caterpillar, and pupa. Erastria sul- 

 phuralis, Stephens. 



The species forming the genus Erastria are 

 amongst the smallest of the Noctuida-, and are, in 

 our island at least, as rare as they are beautiful. 

 They are diurnal in their habits. 

 . The present species, though common in the south 

 of France, is one of our rarest British moths. It 

 has been occasionally captured, Mr. Stephens as- 

 sures us, in Battersea fields, flitting amidst the flowers 

 during daytime. It has also occurred near Margate 

 and in other parts of Kent. 



This moth is very elegant. The head and thorax 

 are sulphur yellow, with dusky black spots. The 

 anterior wings are sulphur yellow, with three black 

 spots on the anterior margin, and two on the disk. 

 At their base two broad black bands run parallel 

 with the inner margin, and, extending about two- 

 thirds the length of the wing, are united by an un- 

 dulating black line, often glossed with a silvery 

 hue. Parallel to the latter is another waved line, 

 sometimes interrupted ; the hinder margin is irre- 

 gularly black. The posterior wings are dusky black, 

 with a whitish fringe. 



The caterpillar is grass-green, with a black dorsal 

 line and a yellowish lateral streak : it feeds on the 

 common field convolvulus, liseron des champs (con- 

 volvulus arvensis), and, according to Vieweg, on the 

 ordinary willow. The perfect insect appears in July 

 and August. 



The large holly moth (Sarrothripus ilicanus). 

 This genus belongs to the Tortricidie of Stephens, 

 and is one of the most conspicuous in that family, 

 not only for the comparative magnitude of the spe- 

 cies, but from their habits. They are apparently 

 autumnal, making their appearanc» at the close of 

 summer, and sometimes contiiK.iug during the 

 whole of the winter. 



Mr. Stephens enumerates and describes seven 

 species, but it is doubtful whether all are distinct; 

 indeed, the probability is that many, if not all, are 

 only varieties referable to S. ilicana. Such is the 

 opinion of .M. Godart, who regards the whole of 

 the presumed species as identical, and refers them 

 all to his SaiTOtripa de Revay, or Sarrothiipa lleva- 

 yana. 



The anterior wings are of a greyish white, more 

 or lesis marbled with brown, and with a broad trans- 

 verse brown belt ; sometimes there are spots on 

 each side of this belt — sometimes zigzag lines; the 

 hinder wings are pale greyish brown, varying in in- 

 tensity. 



The caterpillar is of pale green, with thinly set, 

 long, white hairs. It is found at the end of June on 

 the willow (Salix caprea). At the beginning of 

 July it constructs a cocoon, of a brilliant snow- 

 white tissue, in the Ibrm of a boat truncated at one 

 of its extremities ; the moth appears in about three 

 weeks. It is more common in the north than in the 

 south of France. In our island it is not uncommon 

 in some districts. Many of the pupse, as it w'ould 

 seem, pass through the winter in that condition, 

 and undergo their change early in the spring, per- 

 fect insects having been taken in March. The 

 same observation will apply equally to other spe- 

 cies of moths which ordinarily appear late in the 

 summer or in the autumn. 



Fig. 3727 represents the Plusia gamma : a, the 

 egg, magnified ; 6, the egg on a leaf, natural size ; 

 c, the caterpillar ; d, the pupa ; c, the moth. Fig. 

 3728 represents the eggs of the Pusi moth (Cerura 

 vinula). Fig. 3729, the transformations of the 

 puss moth— a, the egg \ hhb, young larva;; c, the 

 full-grown larva, remarkable for its grotesque atti- 

 tudes; d, the pupa; e, the moth. Fig. 3730 repre- 

 sents the strange and grotesque caterpillar of Stau- 

 ropus Fagi; it is rarely to be met with. Fig. 3731, 

 the crimson underwing and caterpillar. Fig. 3732, 

 the caterpillars of the Clifton nonpareil (Catocala 

 fraxini) on the poplar. Fig. 3733, the same cater- 

 pillars, more advanced. 



Fig. 3734 represents— 1, the Ghost moth (Ilepia- 

 his humuli) ; 2, the Gold swift (Hepiolus hectus ) ; 

 3, the Honey moth (Galleria cereana) ; 4, the 

 small Ermine moth (Yponomenta evonymella) ; 

 5, the dark six-clelt-plume moth (Alucita hexadac- 

 tyla^ ; (i, Linnaius' moth (CEcophora Linneellal ; 



7, the Silver-spotted moth (Argyrolepia Latho- 

 niana). 



The Ghost moth (Hepialus humuli), female adult 

 caterpillar, and chrysalis. 



This moth is common both in England and on the 

 Continent, making its appearance in June or July. 

 It takes its name of Ghost moth from the manner 

 in which the male becomes in the dusk of twilight 

 alternately visible and invisible ; for the upper 

 surface is silvery white, the under surface dusky 

 brown, and as it flies it is continually exposing, 

 during its vacillating movements, first the upper 

 surface and then the under, thus showins; itself for 

 an instant and then becoming suddenly lost. It 

 frequents hop-grounds, and the plants often greatly 

 suffer from the ravages of the caterpillar, which is 

 an underground feeder, devouring the roots of the 

 hop and thus destroying the piant. Towards the 

 end of April or the beginning of May it fabricates 

 for itself a long cylindrical cocoon, of silk inter- 

 mingled with earth, of which the posterior extre- 

 mity is closed by a few lax threads. The chrysalis 

 is reddish brown, with black stigmata. When the 

 moth is ready to emerge, the chrysalis pierces by 

 means of the spines on its head the anterior or firm 

 end of the cocoon, and by the aid of little denti- 

 culations with which the rings of the abdomen are 

 provided, it pushes itself forwards till the sheath 

 of the wings is above the surface of the ground ; 

 after this the insect works to liberate itself en- 

 tirely. 



The female has the upper surface of the wings 

 of an ochre-yellow, with two oblique bands of 

 yellowish red ; the under wings are dusky, with the 

 extremity reddish. In both sexes the body is yellow, 

 the limbs brick-red. 



The caterpillar is of a yellowish white, with the 

 head, the upper part of the first segment, and mark 

 on the second and the anterior limbs, of a glossy 

 brown. The jaws and stigmata are black, and on 

 the ten last rings are some little elevations of a 

 yellow colour, from each of which springs a small 

 blackish hair. 



The Gold Swift (Hepiolus Hectus). This species, 

 which is common in our country, frequents the sides 

 of woods and shady lanes, appearing in the mont/ 

 of July. The male is remarkable for its stran<;« 

 mode of flight ; it elevates itself to about the heisrn 

 of a foot ortwo above the ground, and sweeps with 

 out advancing, from side to side, like a pendulum, 

 continuing this vibratory movement for a lon- 

 siderable time. Should the entomologist appi-oacti 

 and aim at its capture, it instantaneously falls to 

 the ground and there rests motionless, with the 

 limbs folded against the body. It is very probable 

 that the females also occasionally practise this sin- 

 gular mode of flight. De Geer has given to this 

 moth the name of ' Phalene pattes-en-masse,' be- 

 cause its hind limbs, in the place of the leg and 

 tarsus, are furnished with a glossy club-like mass, in 

 the form of a flattened pear, articulated at the smal ' 

 end to the extremity of the thigh. 



The male has the upper surface of the first 

 wings of a light reddish brown; with two oblique 

 bands and a terminal row of small spots of a glossy 

 yellowish white ; the second wings are of a dusky 

 brown. 



The female has the first wings of a ferrugi- 

 nous brown, with grey markings, and the limbs as 

 usual ; the clubbed termination being peculiar to 

 the male. 



The caterpillar is an underground feeder, and is 

 found at the roots of the heath. 



The Honey Moth (Galleria cereana). This moth 

 is on the whole a rare species, or, at least, is locally 

 distributed. Mr. Stephens, however, states that a 

 considerable number of specimens have been cap- 

 tured at Birch Wood, near Bexley, others near 

 Epping, and also in various parts of Suffolk and 

 Devonshire, at the end of Jtme or the beginning of 

 July. 



The caterpillar feeds on honey, wax, and bee- 

 bread, and in some places is known to make great 

 havoc in the hives ; it destroys the comb as it eats 

 its way, investing the fragments with a web which 

 it spins as it goes on ; and as hundreds are at work 

 together, the destruction of the whole of the combs 

 is soon accomplished. M. Godart says that on 

 emerging from the egg it fabricates for itself with 

 the substance of the wax a cylindrical tube fixed to 

 the sides of the comb, or on the cells, in which it 

 passes its existence secure from the attack of the 

 bees, upon whose works it riots. This tube is pro- 

 portioned to the size of the caterpillar, and at fii-st 

 is not thicker than a thread ; but in proportion to 

 the growth of the caterpillar it is lengthened and 

 enlarged so as to give freedom of movement to its 

 tenant; these tubes are sometimes a foot long, but 

 mostly about five or six inches. Their interior is 

 lined with fine silk, closely woven, and their ex- 

 terior is covered with grains of wax and excremen- 

 titious matter all compacted together. In some 

 hives three hundred of these destructive pests 



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