\ THANAUS 13 



THE DINGY SKIPPER. THANAUS TAGES. 

 (Plate LXX. Fig. 2.) 



Papilio tages, Linn. Syst. Nat. (ed. x.) i. p. 485, no. 168 



(1758); id. Faun. Suec. p. 286 (1761); Esper, Schmett. 



i. (i) p. 306, pi. 23, fig. 3 (1777); Hiibner, Eur. Schmett. 



i. figs. 456, 457 (1803). 

 Hesperia tages, Latreille, Enc. Me'th. iv. p. 780, no. 141 



(1819); Newman, Brit. Butterflies, p. 170 (1881). 

 Thymele tages, Stephens, 111. Brit. Ent. Haust. i. p. 98 (1828). 

 Nisoniades tages, Kirby, Eur. Butterflies and Moths, p. 61 



(1879) ; Lang, Butterflies Eur. p. 348, pi. 80, fig. 3 (transf.), 



pi. 8 1, fig. 7 (1884); Barrett, Lepid. Brit. Isl. i. p. 304, 



pi. 40, figs. 2, 2^-^(1893). 

 Thanaus tages, Buckler, Larvae of Brit. Lepid. i. p. 126, pi. 16, 



fig- 3 (1883). 



The Dingy Skipper measures from an inch to an inch and a 

 quarter across the wings. It is dull greyish brown, with a sub- 

 marginal row of pale dots, and with two obscure greyish bands 

 on the fore-wings, and one on the hind-wings. The under side 

 is paler brown, with dull yellowish dots towards the hind-mar- 

 gins. The species varies, some specimens being very obscurely 

 marked, while in others the markings are much more distinct 

 and prominent. 



The larva is bright green, with yellow stripes dotted with 

 black on the sides; the head is brown. The pupa is dull green 

 in front and reddish behind. The larva feeds on bird's-foot tre- 

 foil, and JEryngium campcstre, and like Hesperia malvce, the 

 insect appears in May and June, and is occasionally double- 

 brooded in the South. 



This Butterfly is more generally distributed over England 

 and Scotland than Hesperia malra, and has also been taken in 

 Ireland ; it is, however, usually considered to be a local insect, 



