91 



THE PEPPERED MOTH. 

 Phal&na Betularia. 



PLATE XXXIII. 



Phalama Betularia, Linn. Syst. Nat. ii. p. 862, No. 217. 

 Fab. Spec. Inst. ii. p. 252, No. 56 Donovan's British 

 Insects, vol.vii. p. 55. pi. 237 Biston Betularius, (Leach,) 

 Rennie^s Conspectus, p. 104. 



THE wings are entirely of an ashen gray, speckled 

 all over with black ; the margins with a clouded 

 wrder, and each wing is provided with a zigzag 

 ine. The wings are in general deflexed when at 

 rest ; and in the male extend from one inch and a 

 tialf to five-sixths, and in the female from two 

 inches and one-fourth to one-third. The lower 

 wings have sometimes a black wavy streak behind 

 the centre ; body grayish; white corslet, with a black 

 fillet. 



In the larva condition, it feeds on the lime, 

 willow, and elm ; it is of a dark burnt umber brown 

 colour, spotted with lilac, having a reddish line on 

 the back ; or sometimes ashy gray, with two warts 

 on the eighth segment, and two on the eleventh ; 

 and changes to the pupa state in September. The 

 pupa is of a deep chocolate brown, with a few ob- 

 scure spots, and a long spine at the tip ; some are 



