GEOMETERS. 



153 



Ireland. (The scientific name is Ypsipetea 

 ruberatct.') 



314. The May Highflyer (Ypsipetes impluviata). 



314. THE MAYHIQHFLYER. The palpiare 

 moderately long ; the antennae are simple in 

 both sexes ; the fore wings are grayish green, 

 with a broad median band of pale gray; 

 this band contains the discoidal spot, which 

 is long, very narrow, black, and rather indis- 

 tinct ; the basal portion of the wing is of three 

 different tints, all of them bordered by zigzag 

 black lines, and on the apical portion of the 

 wing, that is between the median band and the 

 hind margin, there are also different tints trans- 

 versely arranged, and each tint is bordered 

 by zigzag lines. The hind wings are pale 

 brownish gray, with a faint discoidal spot and 

 two faint transverse bars. 



The CATERPILLAR is stout and obese ; it con- 

 ceals itself during the day in a rolled-up leaf 

 of the alder, on which it feeds exclusively by 

 night. Its colour is dingy yellow, with a 

 medio-dorsal and two lateral lines of a glauc- 

 ous green. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in May, and, 

 according to Guenee, also in July and August. 

 It is by no means common, but has been taken 

 in many of the English counties, in Scotland, 

 and in Ireland. (The scientific name is 

 Ypsipetes impluviata.) 



Varieties of the July Highflyer. 



315. The July Highflyer (Ypsipetes elutata). 



315. THE JULY HIGHFLYER. The antenna 

 are simple in both sexes, and the palpi mode- 

 rately long. The fore wings are dull olive- 

 green, with a small basal smoke-coloured 

 blotch, and five transverse smoke-coloured 

 bars, of which the second is very much bent, 

 the third and fourth broken off in the middle : 

 there is no discoidal spot, but near the hind 

 margin, and exactly half-way between the 

 costal margin and the anal angle, is a nearly 

 circular pale gray or whitish blotch ; the 

 hind wings are pale brownish gray, with a 

 faint discoidal spot and two extremely obscure 

 transverse bars. 



The EGGS are laid in July, on several species 

 of sallow, Salix caprcea and S. cinerea being 

 preferred. The young CATERPILLARS emerge 

 in twelve days, and feed on the sallow leaves 

 until half-grown, when they hybernate. In 

 the spring they begin to feed again, as soon as 

 the leaf-buds of the sallow expand. They 

 then grow very rapidly, and are frequently 

 full-fed by the 1st of June. The full-fed 

 caterpillar has a singular habit of secreting 

 itself in the seed-down of the sallow during 

 the day, and of spinning this together in 

 masses ; it seems to feed principally during 

 the night. Wben full-fed it is an obese and 

 lethargic caterpillar, which doubles itself up, 

 and falls from its food-plant if shaken or an- 

 noyed. The head is narrower than the body, 



