BRITISH BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS 



FAMILY QUADRIFINM 



Burnished Brass. — {Plusia chrysitis.) First cousin of 

 the more unfamiliar Golden Plusia, the Burnished Brass 

 Moth is on the wing from June to August, haunting 

 hedgerows and other places where there is a profusion of 

 herbage. Stinging nettles appear to be the favourite 

 food-plant of the larva, but it does not disdain other fare. 

 It is pale green, and has a darker line of the same down 

 the back, with an incomplete white border on either side. 

 On segments four to eleven there is a streak of white, 

 and one of the same on the lower part of the sides. The 

 yellowish-brown wings of the imago have a metallic 

 lustre, hence its popular name. 



Plain Golden-Y. — {Plusia iota.) Why this species 

 should be christened " Plain," and its cousin, P. pul- 

 chrina, " Beautiful " is difficult to ascertain, as P. iota 

 is quite as good-looking as its more favoured relative. 

 It is a common species, and appears on the wing in June 

 and July. The yellowish-green larva has white dots, 

 with a dark line down the back having a white margin. 

 On the sides there is an incomplete whitish band of Hnes, 

 and also a narrow Une of yellow in the region of the 

 spiracles. The favourite food-plants appear to consist 

 of various members of the dead-nettle tribe, but it will 

 also take hawthorn and honeysuckle. It hibernates 

 during Winter, and feeds up in the Spring. The mark 



