TORTRICINA. 161 



blackish, and the base straw-colour ; between and beneath straw- 

 colour. Antennae brown above, paler beneath ; basal joint clothed 

 with pale-green scales above, and straw-colour or dusky beneath. 

 Thorax dull, pale green, smooth, crested behind; the crest green, 

 sometimes yellow, at others with a jet-black spot on each side. 

 Patagia same colour as the thorax. Anterior wings dull, pale green, 

 with numerous elevated tufts and ridges, composed of black and 

 green scales interspersed with jet-black markings ; the latter are 

 variable as to their position, but very frequently consist of seven or 

 eight markings on the costa, those near the base being produced 

 into streaks, the innermost sometimes continued across the wing till 

 it meets a longitudinal streak, and forming with it the letter L. At 

 the base, near the dorsal margin, is a short longitudinal streak. In 

 the middle of the disk is another longitudinal streak, furcating up- 

 wards and outwards at its apical extremity ; beyond this is a spot, 

 sometimes very conspicuous; several minute spots are dispersed over 

 the surface of the wing, and in some instances along the apical margin. 

 Apical scales pale green, with whitish bases, cilia whitish, both 

 becoming paler at the anal angle. Posterior wings very pale fuscous, 

 with the extreme margin darker. Marginal scales fuscous, with 

 paler bases. Cilia straw-colour. Abdomen pale fuscous, darker 

 towards the apex. $ Exp. al. 10 lin. 



This lovely species is extremely variable, but the ground- 

 colour is mostly green, with black markings ; sometimes the 

 ground-colour is dotted and clouded with bright ferruginous, at 

 others with olive-green. A most remarkable instance of this last 

 description is in Mr. Edwin Shepherd's collection. The rarest 

 form of this insect is the var. irrorana, in which the anterior 

 wings are thickly speckled with minute black spots, on the usual 

 green ground-colour. 



The imago appears, somewhat commonly, at the New Forest, 

 more sparingly in Dorsetshire, Devonshire, and the west of 

 England ; it occurs also in Worcestershire, Darenth, Birch, and 

 Coombe Woods. Bere Wood near Dover, Plumstead, Leather- 

 head Common near Guildford, and near Norwood, are likewise 

 localities for the insect. It has also occurred in Scotland, but 

 very rarely. It is to be taken from July to October, and will 

 come to sugar. This species hybernates. 



The pupa and larva are unknown : but from the circumstance 

 of the imago being beaten out of Oaks and other trees covered 

 with Lichen, the latter is probably a Lichen-feeder; but this we 

 believe is, at present, only conjecture. The colour and rough 

 appearance of the perfect insect has doubtless originated this 

 supposition. 



