TJESTNES. 



FAMILY VIII. THE NOLID^B. 



46. The Short-cloaked Moth (Xola cucullatella'). 



47. The Least Black Arches (Xola cristulalls). 



48. The Small Black Arches (Xola Strtgula). 



49. T he Scarce Black Arches (Xola centonaJh 



THE EIGHTH FAMILY of Moths (NoUdai) con- 

 tains but four species that have yet been 

 found in Great Britain. They are of small 

 si/e and somewhat triangular in shape : they 

 sit on the trunks of trees in the day-time, and 

 fly only in the evening and during the night. 

 The caterpillars are hairy, and, as far as we 

 have yet observed, feed on the leaves of trees : 

 they spin a silken cocoon and do not bury 

 themselves in the ground to undergo their 

 change to a chrysalis. 



46. The Short-cloaked Moth (Xola cucullutel/a'). 



46. THE SHORT-CLOAKED MOTH. Fore 

 wings pearl-grey, with a dark blotch at the 

 base, a small triangular spot on the costal 

 margin, and several wavy indistinct streaks 

 parallel with the outer margin ; hind wings 

 grey, without markings. Caterpillar dingy 

 brown, with paler patches down the back, so 

 arranged as to form a kind of stripe ; it is 

 covered with numerous wart-like protuber 

 .inces, each of which emits a little tuft of 

 hair : it feeds on the blackthorn, and on 

 plum-trees in gardens. The Moth first appears 

 about Midsummer, and may be found through- 

 out July ; it is very common. (The scientific 

 name is Not a cucullatella.} 



47. The Least Black Arches (Xola cristulalii). 



47. THE LEAST BLACK ARCHES. Fore 

 wings grey, slightly darker towards the hind 

 margin ; there are several waved slender 

 angular black lines across the wing, from the 

 costal to the inner margin; between the first 

 and second of these is a dark mark on the 

 margin. Caterpillar dull yellow and hairy, 

 with fine blackish lines running lengthwise 

 from end to end : it feeds on oak, and spins 

 up towards the end of May, the Moth appear- 



ing in June. (The scientific name is Nola 

 cristulalis.^ 



48. The Small Black Arches (Xola Strigulu'). 



48. THE SMALL BLACK ARCHES. Fore 

 wings grey, slightly darker towards the hind 

 margin, and marked with several slender 

 waved black lines, hind wings smoke-coloured : 

 this insect is rather larger than the last ; the 

 inner line on the fore wing is less angular, and 

 the hind wings are darker than in that spe- 

 cies ; the two are extremely alike, but, never- 

 theless, an entomologist does not fail at once 

 to see the difference. The caterpillar is very 

 hairy, and of a dingy yellow colour ; Freitschke 

 says there is a black blotch on the eighth seg- 

 ment : it feeds on oak, and spins up in May ; 

 the Moth is found on the trunks of trees in 

 June. (The scientific name is Nola StrigulaS) 



49. The Scarce Black Arches (Xola cen(onalis). 



49. THE SCARCE BLACK ARCHES. The 

 fore wiugs are pure white, with three trans- 

 verse waved lines passing completely across 

 them, from the costal to the inner margin ; 

 that nearest the base is sharply angled in 

 the middle, the angle pointing towards the 

 tip of the wing ; the second and third are 

 near together, and are parallel with the hind 

 margin ; between the first and second is a 

 short double mark on the costal margin ; 

 hind wiugs pearly white, delicately tinted with 

 a rosy hue ; the head, antennae, thorax, and 

 body are perfectly white. We have no know- 

 ledge of the caterpillar or chrysalis. A single 

 specimen of this pretty little insect came to 

 light on the 1st July, 1858, at Bernbridge, in 

 the Isle of Wight, Mr. F. 0. Standish is 

 reported to have taken a second specimen. 

 (The scientific name is Nola centonalis.) 



