CATOCALA. 143 



The fore-wings are light grey, with darker markings. The 

 whole surface, with the exception of a light transverse band in 

 the central area, is covered with brown and yellowish atoms. 

 The half-line and the first transverse line are broad and 

 whitish, bordered with yellowish-brown. Then comes the 

 light transverse band already mentioned, in which a white 

 spot marks the position of the orbicular stigma. Near this is 

 the crescent-shaped reniform stigma, with the concavity out- 

 wards, enclosed and centred with brown and yellow, with a 

 pale yellow diamond-shaped spot attached to it beneath, as in 

 C.fraxini. The second transverse line is well marked, and 

 takes a sinuous course, bulging out in the form of an M oppo- 

 site the reniform stigma, and then forming rather irregular 

 zig-zags to the inner margin. It is yellowish on its inner side, 

 with brown borders. From this line to the fringes the surface 

 is mottled. The fringes are ashy-grey, dentated, and inter- 

 sected by two dark lines, and bordered by a row of detached 

 lunules. The hind-wings are deep red, with two black bands. 

 The narrower of these bands curves parallel to the hind margin, 

 and ends at a distance from the inner margin, or is continued 

 very faintly. The marginal band is wide, and is twice dentated 

 on its inner side. The fringes are white, slightly suffused with 

 brown. 



The larva lives on willows, sallows, and poplars. It is 

 usually brownish-grey, with yellow spots and interrupted lines. 

 There are dark brown lines running obliquely over the seg- 

 ments, which are often abbreviated, and expanded in the 

 middle, but are often continued and narrowed. The entire 

 surface is covered with small depressions and elevations, each 

 of the latter bearing a short stiff hair, and on the sides are 

 whitish fringes. On the ninth segment is a fleshy flattened 

 hump. The belly is white or reddish, with large patches of 

 dark brown. 



