438 



BRITISH MOTHS. 



which forms the commencement of a dark 

 transverse line parallel with the hind margin ; 

 there is also a small black spot near the anal 

 angle ; the hind wings are very pale, with a 

 crescentic discoidal spot and a broad smoky 

 hind margin, which contains a pale median 

 blotch : the head, thorax, and body are of the 

 same colour as the fore wings. 



The CATERPILLAR rests in a perfectly straight 

 position on the leaves, especially selecting the 

 ribs, of the common henbane (Hyoscyamus 

 niger] ; it eats both the leaves and ribs, and 

 some of the smaller caterpillars bury themselves 

 in excavations which they make in the latter; 

 they roll themselves in a lax ring when an- 

 noyed. The head is narrower and smaller 

 than the second segment, in which it is par- 

 tially concealed ; the segmental divisions are 

 strongly marked, and each has foiir dorsal and 

 four lateral warts, each wart emitting a rather 

 long bristle, so that every segment has twelve 

 of these bristles, which being white are rather 

 conspicuous ; there are other smaller bristles 

 on the belly ; with- these exceptions the body 

 is uniformly cylindrical ; there are ten claspers, 

 fully and uniformly developed; the colour of 

 the head and body is pale dull green, sprinkled 

 with white dots, and having three darker 

 dorsal stripes not very distinctly pronounced ; 

 after the last change a tawny patch occupies 

 the dorsal area of each segment, near the ex- 

 treme margin of which are situated the 

 spiracles, which are white surrounded by a 

 slender black ring, and this again by a whitish* 

 ring : the legs and claspers are nearly con- 

 colorous with the body, but more transparent. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in June, and 

 is very uncertain in its occurrence. Of this 

 species Mr. Reading says : " More frequent 

 on the coast than inland. Has a wide range 

 coastwise in the two westernmost counties. 

 So uncertain, however, ai*e the seasons of its 

 occurrence, that it might with propriety be 

 termedeitherverycommonorvery rare. In the 

 years 1853 and 4 the caterpillars of this insect 

 were found in great abundance in most of the 

 bays that skirt the coast from Looe Island to 

 Berryhead many patches of Ononis, var. 

 Kplnosa, covering an area of not more than 



two feet superficial, yielding as many as 300 

 caterpillars. More that two thousand were 

 collected, and many left, in all likelihood to 

 the number of thousands. It appeared thus 

 plentifully during the two seasons mentioned; 

 but since those periods the insect, in any stage, 

 has not been observed in numbers that would 

 warrant its being considered common. Indeed, 

 thixmghout whole seasons not one specimen, 

 falls to the share of even the industrious 

 lepidopterist. The caterpillars vary consider- 

 ably in colour. As many variations are to be 

 seen in this as are met with in its congener 

 H. marylnatus. The two forms described 

 below are those usually found. 



"No. 1. Deep green, scattered short bristly 

 haii's; dorsal, sub-dorsal, longitudinal, and 

 transverse lines deeper ; spiracles, spiracular 

 line, and scattered spots, white. 



" No. 2. Same markings as in No. 1 ; but 

 the whole ground-colour is chromish-red, 

 inclining to pink. 



" The caterpillar of No. 2 is found feeding 

 upon the bright petals of Ononis spinosa, the 

 hue of which is shed through the ti-ansparent 

 skin of the caterpillar, whilst No. 2 feeds on 

 the leaves and seeds of one or more of its 

 food-plants. The food-plants of the caterpillar 

 are : Ononis spinosa and arvensis (merely two 

 forms of one species ; occurs commonly along 

 the coast as well as inland) ; Arenaria mlra, 

 a common rock-plant; Hyoscyamus nit/er, 

 Whitsand-cliffs ; Pyretkrum inodorum and 

 maritimum (both being forms of one plant); 

 common on the coast and near thereto 

 caterpillars feed on the anthers of this plant, 

 like those of Folia serena on a similar part of 

 a Sonchus. The caterpillars on Pyrethrum are 

 yellowish-green, the yellow anthers imparting 

 some of the colouring matter with which they 

 are charged, to the caterpillar ; whilst the 

 pollen gives a stronger tinge of the same to 

 the external covering, by adhering to the 

 haii-s of the insect. Full-grown caterpillars 

 are found in the beginning of August, biit 

 partially-grown are to be obtained from as 

 early as May. 



" The moth flies in September, and in spring 

 and summer, not double-brooded, but semi- 



