NOCTUAS. 



445 



687. The Rosy Marbled (Erastria venustula). 



687. THE ROSY MARBLED. The palpi are 

 porrected, extending very considerably in 

 front of the head ; the second joint is very 

 sparingly clothed with scales, the terminal 

 joint sharp-pointed and almost entirely naked; 

 the antennae are very slender and simple in 

 both sexes ; the habit of the insect is that of 

 a Tortrix ; the costal margin of the fore wings 

 is curved, more especially at the base ; their 

 colour is creamy-gray, with a delicate rosy 

 tint on the basal portion of the costal area. 

 I find no trace of the orbicular ; thereniform 

 is present, its median area being light brown, 

 and the circumscription of its minor lower 

 border white ; a waved transverse white line 

 crosses the wing beyond the reniform ; the 

 hind margin has a broad and somewhat 

 triangular brown blotch; ia the middle of 

 the inner margin is another large and some- 

 what triangular brown blotch ; this latter is 

 bordered with white and also intersected by 

 a white line near its basal extremity : the 

 hind wings are pale dingy brown : the head, 

 collar, and disk of the thorax are brown, the 

 sides and hind part of thorax almost white ; 

 the body is gray. 



The CATERPILLAR when annoyed falls from 

 its food-plant, but does not roll itself in a 

 ring or feign death, being apparently satisfied 

 with the natural protection afforded by its 

 colour, for it is almost impossible to distinguish 

 it on the ground and among the grass : the 

 head is narrower than the second segment, 

 prone and shining : the body is smooth and 

 velvety, the fourth and fifth segments con- 

 siderably incrassated; the segments exhibit 

 a decided continuity, the interstices between 

 them being difficult to perceive : the colour 

 of both head and body is purplish-brown, with 

 a paler medio-dorsal stripe, which is indistinct 

 throughout, and nearly obliterated on the 

 third and fourth segments, and there is a 



roundish spot of the same pale colour on each 

 side of the fifth segment : it feeds on the 

 yellow blossoms of the trailing tormentil 

 (Tormentilla reptana),&nd when full-fed, about 

 the end of August, it conceals itself at the 

 roots of the plant, or the short grasses among 

 which the plant grows in the sides of forest 

 roads, and there spinning a slight cocoon 

 changes to a smooth brown CHRYSALIS. 



The MOTH appears on the wing at the end 

 of June and during July. As far as regards 

 Great Britain, it has only been found in 

 Epping Forest, where it was discovered many 

 years back by Mr. Doubleday. (The scientific 

 name is Erastria venustula.) 



Obs. I think that neither Treitschke nor 

 any subsequent author can have really been 

 acquainted with the caterpillar of this species : 

 my description is from the life, the specimens 

 described having been kindly presented to me 

 for that purpose by Mr. C. J. Biggs. 



688. The Marbled White-spot (Erastria fuscula). 



688. THEMARBLEDWHITE-SPOT. Thepalpi 

 are porrected, rather long, very slender, 

 and sharp-pointed ; the antennae are slender 

 and alike in both sexes : the fore wings are 

 rather arched on the costal margin; their 

 colour is dark marbled bistre-brown ; the anal 

 angle is occupied by a large white blotch, 

 which is shaded with pale brown as it ap- 

 proaches the hind margin; the reniform and 

 orbicular are distinctly outlined in white, the 

 median area being brown; the fringe is 

 spotted : the hind wings are dingy gray- 

 brown : the head and thorax are brown ; the 

 body is gray-brown and crested, the crest on 

 the fourth and fifth segments being prominent; 

 all the crests are tipped with brown. 



I have not seen the CATERPILLAR of Erastria 

 fuscula,' but M. Guenee describes it as of a 

 yellowish-gray colour, with a broad brown 

 continuous medio-dorsal stripe, a narrow black 



