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THE BRITISH NATURE BOOK 



Family : Lymantriida Tussock Moths. 



Some of the larvae of these moths have urticating hairs, which will cause 

 a troublesome inflammation to a sensitive skin. They should therefore be 

 handled with care, and on no account should the hands, after touching them, 

 rub the face. 



Vapourer (Orgyia antiqua). Male has fore- wings dull orange-brown, with 

 a conspicuous roundish white spot at the lower angle. Female is greyish, with 

 small stumps representing rudimentary wings. Eggs are laid in a patch 

 round small twig on many kinds of trees. Moth appears in August and October. 

 L. very handsome, with four pairs of yellow tufts on back, and pencils of black 

 hair on first and eleventh segments. (The SCARCE VAPOURER (Orgyia gonostigma) 



Caterpillars of the Pale Tussock Moth. 



has in the male an extra white mark near the tip of the fore-wing. It is a very 

 local species.) 



The Pale Tussock (Dasychira pudibunda). E. if-2^ inches. Has greyish 

 white fore-wings (hind-wings almost white) sprinkled with darker grey. The 

 central area is darker. L. is green or yellow, with four yellow tufts and a 

 pencil of dull red hair. Feeds on hazel, oak, fruit trees, and hop (known 

 to hop-pickers as the " HOP-DOG "), from July to September. Moth in May 

 and June. Comes to light. Common. (The DARK TUSSOCK (Dasychira 

 fascelina] is rarer, being chiefly a northern insect.) 



Yellow-tail, or GOLD-TAIL (Porthesia similis), is white, with a golden yellow 

 tuft at end of abdomen. Male has a black dot on the fore-wings. Larvae 

 hatch in August, hibernate, feed gregariously in spring on oak, poplar, 

 hawthorn, and fruit trees. Moth appears in June and July. It has a habit 

 of sitting still on leaves and branches, when it looks like a white feather. 

 Attracted by light. E. i^-if inch. (The BROWN-TAIL (Euproctis chryorrhea) 



