LEPIDOPTBRA. 



301 



are called Lichinees, on account of their colour, which resembles 

 that of a Lichen. Their four anterior membranous feet are, the 

 shortest, and they walk in the manner of the GeomelriB. 



A^, pacta. Fab. Distinguished from the others by the red co- 

 lour of the under part of its abdomen. It is only found in the 

 north uf Europe *. 



The caterpillars of some have but twelve feet. The superior 

 wings of the perfect Insect are frequently ornamented with 

 golden or silver spots. Such are the two following species t- 



N. gamma. Fab., Roes., Ins. I, Class III, Pap. Noct., V. The 

 thorax crested; sup?rior surface of the upper wings brown, 

 with lighter shades of the same colour, and a golden spot form- 

 ing a lambda or gamma, laid on the side, in the middle. By 

 pressure, two tufts of hairs may be made to protrude from the 

 extremity of the male's abdomen. The caterpillar lives on va- 

 rious culinary vegetables. 



N. Chnjsitis, Fab.; Esp., Noct., cix, fig. 1—5. Superior 

 wings light brown, traversed by two bands of the colour of 

 polished brass. 



Some caterpillars, like those of the A^, Verbasci, N. Artemisics, 

 N. Absinthii, &c., have the habit of feeding on the flowers of 

 plants peculiar to them \. 



Other species of Noctuae have pectinated antennae, like the 



N. graminis — P. gramminis, L. — whose caterpillar sometimes 



ravages the fields of Sweden. 



The sixth section of Nocturnal Lepidoptera, or that of the Ph.4- 



i,.EX^ ToRTRiCEs, L., is closely allied to the two preceding ones. The 



superior Mngs, of which the exterior margin is arcuated at base and 



then narrowed, their short and wide figure forming a truncated oval, 



give a very peculiar appearance to these Insects. They are called 



in France," Phalenes a larges epaules, and ,Phalene* a chappe. They 



have a distinct proboscis, and their inferior palpi are usually almost 



similar to those of the Noctuae, but somewhat salient. 



They are small and prettily coloured ; their wings are tectiform, 

 but flattened almost horizontally, and always laid on the body. In 

 this case the upper ones are slightly crossed along the inner margin. 

 Their caterpillars have sixteen feet, and their body is closely shorn, 

 or but slightly pilose. They twist and roll up leaves of trees, con- 

 necting various points of their surface at difi^erent times by layers of 

 silken threads running in one direction, and thus form a tube, in 

 which they reside, and feed in tranquillity on their parenchyma. 

 Others form a nest by connecting several leaves or flowers with silk. 

 Some of them inhabit fruits. 



* These two species belong to the genus Catacola, Ochsenheimer. 



f Genus Plusia of the same. 



+ They belong to the genus CucidUa of Schrank and other Lepidoptcrologists. For 

 the other species see Olivier, Encyc. Method., art Noctuelle; Lut. Gener. Crust, 

 ct Insect., IV, p. 224, and in particular Ochsenheiiner's work on the Lepidoptera of 

 Europe, and the Hist Nat. des L^pid. de France of Godart, now continued by M. 

 Duponchell, well known to entomologists hy his interesting Monograph of the genus 

 Erotylus already cpioted, and otlier Memoirs. 



