66 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 



Dichonia aprilina^ Kirby, Eur. Butterflies and Moths, p. 215, 



pi. 37, figs. 3-3 b (1880). 

 Agriopis aprilina, Buckler, Larvae of Brit. Lepid. vi. p. 30, pi. 



91, figs. 2, 2 a (1895). 



The " Marveil du Jour " is common in Central and in some 

 parts of Southern and Eastern Europe. It expands from an 

 inch and a half to two inches. 



The fore wings are of a light apple-green or sea-green, which 

 tends towards yellowish or almost white in old and worn speci- 

 mens. The costa is spotted with black and white, and from it 

 rise the black transverse lines, which are bordered with white. 

 The half-line is represented by two black spots towards the 

 base, and the first and second transverse lines are formed of a 

 number of lunules just touching at their extremities. Between 

 the indistinct stigmata runs a black central shade. The sub- 

 marginal line rises from a black hook near the apex of the 

 wings; it consists of a zig-zag black line, sometimes broken into 

 spots, and bordered with white on each side. The fringes are 

 chequered with black and white, and are bounded by black dots 

 on the inner side. The hind-wings are blackish with a central 

 and a sub-marginal band of lighter, succeeded by a black line 

 at the base of the brownish-white fringes. The head and thorax 

 are mostly green, the latter with a transverse black stripe in 

 front, and the abdomen is brown. 



The larva feeds on oak at night, remaining hidden in the 

 Chinks of the bark during the day. 



It is smooth, greyish-brown, sometimes tinged with red. The 

 head is almost black, with yellowish dots. On the back is an 

 interrupted whitish median dorsal line intersecting the ground- 

 colour, which here takes the form of a series of lozenge-shaped 

 spots ; and on the sides is a pale spiracular line, bounded above 

 by a waved darker stripe, 



