254 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



dark reticulations on the cheeks; the colour 

 of the body is delicate apple-green, with a 

 well-marked medio-dorsal stripe, of a rich 

 purple-brown colour ; this is dilated on the 

 second segment immediately behind the head, 

 also on the fifth, eighth, and ninth segments ; 

 thence it decreases in width, and on the 

 twelfth and thirteenth segments, is very 

 narrow ; the spiracles are white, in a brown 

 ring; the legs and claspers green, red-brown 

 at the extremities; when full-fed, it spins 

 together any dead leaves or rubbish within 

 its reach, or buries itself in decayed wood, if 

 it have the opportunity ; and thus concealed 

 it changes to a CHRYSALIS, and remains in that 

 state throughout the winter. 



The MOTH appears on the wing during June 

 and July. I have received it from Cambridge, 

 but know of no other locality. (The scientific 

 name is Acronycta str/gosa.) 



431. The Alder (Acronycta Alia}. 



431. The fore wings are gray, with a very 

 large dark brown, almost black, blotch which 

 occupies nearly half of the wing, extending 

 from the middle of the base to the hind margin, 

 near the anal angle, and covering all the inner 

 margin, excepting a very small space at the 

 basal, and another at the anal angle, both of 

 which are gray : this dark blotch has also a 

 broad band or branch, which connects it with 

 the middle of the costal margin : the areas 

 not occupied by this blotch are two, the first 

 occupying broadly the basal half of the costal 

 margin, the second being somewhat triangular 

 and apical, both of them are beautifully 

 marked with darker shades ; the fringe is 

 spotted ; the reniform spot is indicated by a 

 pale gray outline; the orbicular is scarcely 

 perceptible ; the hind wings are white, with 

 smoky discoidal spot, wing-rays anp apical 



angle, the fringe is spotted ; the head is gray, 

 the antenna? and eyes black ; the thorax 

 gray, with a black streak at the base of the 

 wings ; the abdomen gray, inclining to smoky. 



The CATERPILLAR rests in a nearly straight 

 position, and does not fall from its food plant 

 when disturbed, or exhibit any symptoms of 

 uneasiness when handled; its head is about 

 equal in breadth to the second segment, and 

 intensely glossy ; the body is almost uniformly 

 cylindrical, the segmental divisions clearly 

 indicated. The colour of the head is black, 

 of the body intense purple-black, without gloss, 

 and having in most specimens a medio-dorsal 

 series of yellowish markings, one on each 

 segment ; these are transverse and oblong, 

 and in many specimens bordered with white : 

 the presence of these markings is not constant, 

 and some entomologists have figured the cater- 

 pillar only exhibiting these on the second and 

 twelfth segments ; each segment has a process 

 or appendage on each side resembling a black 

 horse-hair dilated and flattened at the tip : 

 the appearance of these appendages is so 

 remarkable, that it is impossible to mistake 

 this caterpillar for any other : when full-fed, 

 it sometimes spins together the leaves of its 

 food plant ; sometimes it excavates a dead 

 bramble stick ; and in either situation changes 

 to a CHRYSALIS of a rich deep chestnut-brown 

 colour. With regard to the food-plant of the 

 caterpillar, there is considerable doubt ; it has 

 been found in confinement to eat whitethorn 

 ( Cratocgus oxyacantha), and alder (Alnus yluti- 

 nosa), but I am not certain whether it has 

 been ascertained to eat either of these in a 

 perfectly natural condition. 



The MOTH appears in June, and has been 

 found occasionally in most of our English 

 counties, and Mr. Birchall records the occur- 

 rence of a single specimen from the county 

 Wicklow, in Ireland, but it has always been 

 regarded as a great rarity. (The scientific 

 name is Acronycta Alni.} 



Obs. The extraordinary caterpillar of this 

 moth has no affinity with any others of the 

 genus ; indeed, the great diversity in the 

 caterpillars of the Acronycta is very remark- 

 able. 



