88 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 



The hind-wings are crimson, with a very narrow black hind 

 margin. The antennae have a short abruptly thickened club. 

 The abdomen is covered with velvety steel-blue hair. 



The variety A. mtbigena occurs in Gal way and other parts of 

 the West of Ireland, where the true A.purpuralis is much less 

 common. It differs from the type in being smaller, and having 

 the red costal streak of the fore-wings meeting the central 

 streak, the tendency being towards a suffusion of the whole 

 wing with red. The hair on the abdomen is black and 

 shaggy. 



The Irish Burnet was first found in Galway by the late Mr. 

 A. G. More in 1851 ; but it was at first mistaken for a variety 

 of A. trifolii with confluent spots. In Britain it seems to be 



Irish Burnet. Anthrocera purpuralis. 



an insect which generally occurs near the coast. It is very 

 abundant in some localities in the West of Ireland, and is 

 also found here and there on the West coast of Scotland, 

 the coast of Wales, and, I believe, also in Cornwall. Its 

 reputed occurrence on the East coast of Scotland was an error, 

 though it is curious that it should be exclusively confined to 

 the Western coasts of both Great Britain and Ireland. 



The larva is light yellow or greenish, with a blackish head 

 and fore-legs. There are two rows of twelve black spots on 

 each side of the body. It feeds on various kinds of vetches 

 and trefoils. 



