SHEARS— GOTHIC— FIGURE OF EIGHT 



The moth flies in June, and a second brood in August. 

 The greenish larva has a greyish-brown Une down the 

 back, with orange-brown marks on the back shaped like 

 the letter V, and slanting ones of the same colour on the 

 sides. The imago is reddish-brown on the forewings. 

 prettily picked out with yellow, and greyish on the hind 

 ones. 



Tawny Shears. — {Dianthoecia carpophaga ) Belongs 

 to the same genus as the last-named species, and the 

 larva (purplish-brown, with ochreous-brown lines down 

 the back), feeds on similar plants. It should be sought 

 for in June, July, and September. The imago is on the 

 wing in May and June, or later, and varies from pale 

 yellowish to ochreous-brown on the forewings, with 

 lighter colour below. The lighter varieties appear to 

 favour one or two of the Southern Counties, and the 

 darker ones occur elsewhere, as well as intermediate 

 forms. 



Feathered Gothic. — (Epineuroma popularis.) August 



and September sees this greyish-brown moth at large, 



the hindwings being a good deal lighter. It is a common 



species in town and country, and the male is fond of 



coming to Ught. Curiously enough, the female is 



unattracted in this way. Wherever there is a patch of 



rough grass in an open situation the larva of the Feathered 



Gothic is likely to be encountered, as it is a grass-feeder. 



The larva is dark greenish- brown, with various markings, 



and should be sought for in Spring, as the eggs, laid 



several months earlier, then hatch. The larva goes on 



feeding until mid- Summer. 



Figure of Eight. — (Diloha cceruleocephala.) This moth 



61 



