140 



This is a genus containing rather small species, with the an- 

 tennae slightly pectinated in the male, and serrated in the 

 female ; the fore-wings are not much longer than the hind- 

 wings, and the hind margin is distinctly rounded. The wings 

 are black, with anastomosing cream-coloured bands and spots 

 on the fore-wings. The Wood Tiger varies a good deal on 

 the Continent In colour, more especially in that of the hind- 

 wings ; but in England it varies little. There are one or two 

 closely-allied species in California. 



THE WOOD TIGER MOTH. PARASEMIA PLANTAGINIS. 



(Plate LXXXVIL Fig. I.) 

 Bombyx plantaginis, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. (ed. x.) i. p. 501, no. 



2 5 ( X 75 8 ); id. Faun. Suec. p. 301 (1761); Esper, Schmett. 



iii. p. 188, pi. 36, figs. 1-8(1784); Hiibner, Eur. Schmett. 



iii. figs. 127, 128 (1804?). 

 Eyprepia plantaginis, Ochsenheimer, Schmett. Eur. iii. p. 312 



(1810). 

 Ncmeophila plantaginis^ Stephens, 111. Brit. Ent. Haust. ii. p. 72 



(1828); Kirby, Eur. Butterflies & Moths, p. 103, pi. 23, 



fi g s - 5i 5 a ~ c (1880); Buckler, Larvae of Brit. Lepid. iii. 



pi. 44, fig. 5 (1889) ; Barrett, Lepid. Brit. Isl. ii. p. 260, pi. 



74, figs. 2, 20-/(i8 94 ). 



This pretty Moth is common in most parts of Europe and 

 Northern Asia. The male expands about an inch and a half, 

 and the female is a little larger. The fore-wings are black, with 

 yellowish or cream-coloured markings. These consist of two 

 transverse bands meeting a longitudinal one, and one or two 

 spots near the apex. The hind-wings are ochreous-yellow in 

 the male, with two 'black stripes at the base, and a nearly 

 continuous series of black spots along the hind margin. In 

 the female the hind-wings are yellowish-red or cinnabar-red, 

 with a broad black undulating hind margin, two or three 



