116 



THE CURRANT MOTH. 



Phalama Grossulariata. 

 PLATE LXXXI. 



Phalsena Grossulariata, Linn. Syst. fiat. ii. p. 867. 

 Donovan's Brit, Insects, pi. 4. 



THE wings of this very common species are white, 

 covered with a great variety of black spots and fillets ; 

 on the upper wings is a sesquitertious bright orange 

 band, bounded on its inner edge by an interrupted 

 band of black, and on its outer edge by a row of 

 equidistant black spots ; the body is of the same 

 colour ; the segments have each a black spot ; the 

 head and eyes are black ; the antennae are long, 

 slender, and tapering. 



The caterpillar is white, with black spots on the 

 back ; the belly is yellow ; and at the insertion of 

 the annulations is a tuft of very fine hairs ; it feeds 

 on gooseberry and currant bushes, and generally 

 emerges from the egg in May. The caterpillar, 

 previous to its change into the pupa state, spins 

 for itself a web of a very slight and delicate texture, 

 by which it is suspended horizontally against the 

 branches of trees. The pupa is black, with a yellow 

 fillet at the annulations, and three spots of the same 

 colour on the back ; and is transformed into the 

 perfect, or imago state, in July. 



