95 BRITISH MOTHS 



NEMEOPHILA*, Stephens. (PARASEMIA, HiinNER.) 



Tlie species of wliicli this group is composed, in the colours and markings of its wings approaches the true 

 Arctia>, but it is distinguished from that genus by its slender form, and especially by the proportions of the joints 

 of the very short palpi, of whicli the first and last joints are nearly globose ; the antenna? are but slightly 

 bipcctinated in tlie males ; the female is larger than the male. The construction, also, of the external organs of 

 generation in the males of this genus difters considerably from that of the Arctiae. 



SPECIES 1.— NEMEOPHILA PLANTAGINIS. Plate XIX., Fig. 14,15. 



SvNoNYMES. — PA. Bo. Plmitoginis, Linn. ; Haworth ; Wilkes, I Wooil, Ind. Ent. t. 7, Hg. 71 ; Duncan Brit. Moths, pi. 21, fig. 1. 

 pi. 50 ; Hurris Aurelian, pi. IG, fig. g — ui ; Donovan, 4, pi. 134 ; I Parasemia Plautaijlnis, Hiibner Verz. hck. Scliiuett. 



This pretty species varies from \h to \'i inch in the expansion of the fore wings, which arc of a black colour, 

 with various cream-coloured or buff spots and markings, one being longitudinal towards the liinder margin, and 

 terminating in an irregular cross-like marking towards the apex. The hind wings are pale orange, with black 

 discoidal markings and an irregular black margin : the body is black, with the shoulder and sides of the abdomen 

 buff: the thorax is also striped with buff in the males. There are numerous varieties, both in the tint of the 

 pale parts of the wings and in the relative extent of the markings. 



The caterpillar is black, thickly clothed with brown hairs, and with several of the middle segments reddish. 

 It feeds on the plantain in the autumn and spring, and the moth (which is far from rare, and widely distributed 

 throughout the country) appears in the beginning of June. 



HERACLIA, HuBNEE, Verz. (HYPERCOMPA, Sjeph. nec Hubn. CALLIiMORPHA, Boisduval.) 



Tliis interesting genus lias the head small and squamose ; the antennae in both sexes setaceous, elongate, and 

 slightly ciliated. The palpi are shorter than the head, and the spiral tongue is distinct and convoluted, although 

 not so regularly as ordinar)'. The thorax is of moderate size, and squamose, and the abdomen is elongated and 

 rather slender ; the wings are deflexed, and densely clothed with scales, and the wings are more elongated than 

 in most of the preceding genera. The caterpillar is not so thicklj- clothed with hairs as in the preceding groups. 



SPECIES 1.— HERACLIA DOMINULA. Plate XIX., Fio. IG, 1". 



.SvNONYMEs. — Phal. {Noctua) Domi/uda, Linnaeus; Albin, i a — e ; Donovan, 4, pi. 141 ; Wood, Ind, Ent. pi, 7, fig. 67 ; Dun- 

 pi. 22, fig. 31, a — d; Wilkes, pi. 38 ; Ilarria Aurelian, pi. 40, fig. | ran, Brit. Moths, pi. 19, fig. 3 (and 4 variety). 



This beautiful insect measures about two inches in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of a black colour 

 flossed with green, with about ten cream-coloured spots of different sizes on each ; those which are in the 

 discoidal cell being tinged with orange. The hind wings are rich scarlet with black markings ; the thorax is 

 black with two orange stripes, and the abdomen scarlet, with the back black. The size of the spots as well 

 as the ground colour of the hind wings are very variable; our figure, (16) however, represents the ordinary 

 appearance of the insect ; but striking varieties, with the scarlet colour nearly or quite obliterated, are 

 represented in Loudon's Magazine of Natunal Ilistor}', vol. vi. p. 541, and by Mr. Duncan, as above referred to. 



The caterpillar is black, with yellow longitudinal and dorsal lines, and numerous bluish- white lateral 



* Derived from the Creek, in allusiou to the species frequenting groves. 



