266 COMMON BRITISH INSECTS. 



found beneath. The popular name of this insect is 

 the MOTHER OF PEARL, and its scientific name is 

 Botys urticalis. 



Although the general character of these marks is 

 the same in all species, there is some variation in 



different specimens, both in 

 their arrangement and depth 

 of tint. In colour they are 

 nearly black, but if viewed by 

 a side light, a purplish metallic 

 gloss is seen upon them, being 

 best defined along the costal margin of the upper 

 wings. Both surfaces are coloured in much the same 

 manner, but on the under surface the marks are not 

 so dark, and the purple gloss is more conspicuous,, 

 especially on the lower wings. When closed, the wings 

 assume a heart-like shape, and usually look very round, 

 as if a flat plate of thin mother-of-pearl had been cut 

 into the shape of a heart, and carefully painted with 

 dark spots. The thorax is bright golden-yellow, the 

 abdomen is black, each segment being edged with 

 yellow, and there is a tuft of yellow hairs at the end 

 of the tail. 



The caterpillar is one of the numerous nettle- 

 feeders. It is thicker in the middle than at the ends, 

 and so thin-skinned that it has a semi-transparent 

 appearance when viewed against the light Its colour 

 is whitish-grey on the back relieved by a central black 

 line, and the sides are green. It draws together the 

 leaves of the nettle with silken threads, and so feeds 

 in concealment. There are ten species of this pretty 

 genus. 



