NOCTUAS. 



343 



In a beautiful variety, in which the fore wings 

 are much variegated, the head and collar are 

 pale brown. 



The EGGS are laid in July on almost every 

 kind of vegetable or plant grown in gardens, 

 and the young CATERPILLAR feeds throughout 

 the autumn, winter, and spring on the stem 

 or heart hence the French name of ver du 

 cceur. It conceals itself almost entirely during 

 the day beneath the surface of the ground, 

 emerging at night : I have frequently found it 

 concealed about the roots of lettuces, and 

 brought to light when they are pulled up for 

 the table : when thus exposed it rolls itself in 

 a very compact ring. The head is glabrous, 

 and small in comparison with the size of the 

 body, which is full, obese, and velvety. The 

 colour of the head is reddish-brown, of the 

 body very various : it is of all shades, 

 from pale sickly yellowish-green to a dark 

 dingy brown : there is generally a narrow 

 yellowish medio-dorsal stripe, on both sides of 

 which is a brownish stripe, making the medio- 

 dorsal more conspicuous ; and below this is a 

 longitudinal series of seven or eight linear 

 black or very dark marks, one on each side of 

 each segment, generally commencing with the 

 fifth, but sometimes with the sixth segment ; 

 below these is aiiother pale and yellowish, but 

 very indistinct stripe, and again below this a 

 darker stripe also indistinct, and containing 

 the white spiracles, each surrounded with 

 black ; the ventral is usually paler than the 

 Jorsal area ; and the legs and claspers arc 

 3oncolorous. I have found it full-fed in 

 March, April, May, and June, when it 

 changes to a stout, smooth red-brown CHRYSA- 

 LIS, just below the surface of the earth, in 

 an oval cell or cavity of its own making. 



The MOTit appears on the wing in June, 

 and is common everywhere. (The scientific 

 .lame is Tryphcena pronuba.) 



Obs. The beautiful, but not uncommon 

 variety represented in the lower figure, I have 

 been used to call Innuba, and it is described 

 under that name by Stephens, but this seems 

 to be an error, for Guenee describes that 

 variety as having the costal margin and collar 

 concolorous with the upper wings, whereas in 



the Innuba of English entomologists these 

 parts are so much paler as to present a 

 striking contrast. 



551. The Autumnal Kustic (Noctua glareosei). 



551. THE AUTUMNAL RUSTIC. The palpi 

 are porrected, but not very prominent ; the 

 antennae are slightly serrated in the male, 

 simple in the female : the colour of the fore 

 wings is dove- coloured gray, with three rich 

 brown markings ; the first double and almost 

 at the base of the wing, the second precedes 

 the orbicular spot, and the third precedes 

 the reniform ; but neither of these discoidal 

 spots is conspicuous : the three dark mark- 

 ings approach, but do not touch, the costal 

 margin : the hind wings are white in the 

 male, gray in the female ; the head, thorax, 

 and body are dove-coloured. 



The CATERPILLAR is stout and velvety ; the 

 head is small and glabrous. The colour of 

 the head is testaceous-brown, with two darker 

 lines down the face ; that of the body wainscot- 

 brown, with a narrow medio-dorsal stripe, 

 slightly paler, and bordered on each side with 

 a rather darker tint ; there are many black 

 dots on the dorsal surface, four of these being 

 ranged in a transverse series on the second, 

 third, and fourth segments respectively ; on 

 the fifth and following segments they form a 

 quadrangle ; in the young caterpillar there is 

 a lateral stripe of bright yellow, just below 

 the spiracles, which are black, but this yellow 

 stripe becomes gradually indistinct as the 

 caterpillar grows, until when full-fed it has 

 almost disappeared : the ventral is paler than 

 the dorsal surface ; the claspers are small and 

 concolorous. ]t feeds principally on the 

 common broom (Spartium], but sometimes 

 eats dock and sorrel (Rumex). 

 The MOTH appeal's on the wing in September, 



