NOCTUAS. 



347 



558. The Double-Spotted Square. Spot (Noctva. 

 triangulum). 



558. THE DOUBLE-SPOTTED SQUARE-SPOT. 

 The palpi are porrected, the scales of the 

 second joint projecting beyond the first, 

 which is small and short ; the antennae are 

 simple : the colour of the fore wings is 

 grayish-brown, with several dark and well- 

 defined markings; there is a short transverse 

 line at the base, with a dark spot at its lower 

 extremity ; the orbicular and renitbrm are 

 outlined with pale gray, but have lost their 

 characteristic form ; the orbicular is pale, and 

 ascends to the costal margin, and, except on 

 the margin, is surrounded with dark brown, 

 which forms a square spot between the orbi- 

 cular and reniform ; there is a very strongly 

 pronounced dark brown spot on the costa near 

 the tip of the wing : the hind wings, head, 

 thorax, and body are gray-brown. 



The CATERPILLAR rolls in a ring when 

 annoyed; the head is narrower than the 

 second segment, into which it is partially 

 received ; the body is attenuated anteriorly ; 

 the twelfth segment is slightly elevated, the 

 thirteenth rounded, the anal claspers extended 

 beyond it ; the colour of the head and body 

 is pale dingy -brown, delicately reticulated 

 with black ; there are two dorsal series of 

 oblique oblong markings, commencing on the 

 fifth segment and extending to the twelfth ; 

 those on the twelfth segment are almost 

 united posteriorly ; the others are perfectly 

 distinct ; each marking is accompanied and 

 almost surrounded by a paler area , there is 

 also a thread-like medio-dorsal paler stripe ; 

 on each segment is a transverse series of black 

 dots, and the spiracles are of a deeper black ; 

 the legs and claspers are concolorous with the 

 body. Early in May the caterpillars bury 



themselves in the ground, and there turn to 



CHRYSALIDS. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in June, and 

 has been taken freely in most of our English 

 counties, from Cornwall to York ; Mr. Douglas 

 Robinson reports it from Kirkcudbrightshire, 

 and Mr. Birchall says it is common in most 

 localities in Ireland. (The scientific name is 

 Noctua triangulum.) 



559. The Square-Spotted Clay (Noctua rhomboidea). 



559. THE SQUARE-SPOTTED CLAY. The 

 palpi are porrected, the second joint being 

 rather long and rather slender ; the antennae 

 are 'simple : tho colour of the fore wings is 

 very dark brown, all the markings being 

 obscure from their general similarity to the 

 ground- colour; the orbicular and reniform are 

 delicately outlined with ochreous gray ; the 

 space before and beyond the orbicular is in- 

 tensely dark; there is an obscure darker band 

 parallel with the hind margin, the outer 

 boundary of which is waved and delicately 

 outlined with ochreous gray : the hind wings 

 are gray-brown with a slight gloss; the head 

 and thorax are dark brown ; the body gray- 

 brown. 



The EGG is laid on chickweed (Stellaria 

 media) and other low plants, at the roots of 

 which tne CATERPILLAR hybernates when 

 small ; in the spring it feeds on chickweed, 

 dock, &c., but also ascends sallows (Salix, 

 caprea), and feeds on the young leave* ; it is 

 very generally full-fed about the end of May 

 or beginning of June : the head is almost 

 prone, rather small, generally half-concealed 

 in the second segment ; the body is smooth, 

 velvety, almost unifoimly cylindrical, but 

 having the second, third, and fourth segments 

 more slender than those which follow ; the 



