19S BRITISH MOTHS 



waves, and various black unclulatecl strigfe ; the anterior stigma is obsolete, and the posterior one obscure and 

 ashy-coloui-ed, and a brown margin ; the third striga terminates on the inner margin by a pale patch. The 

 subapical striga pale and waved, the apex spotted with brown ; the hind wings pale whitish ash, with a spot 

 in the centre, and the border brownish ; the abdomen ashy-yellow. The caterpillar is black, with a row of white 

 patches on the back, and another of red spots above the feet on each side : it feeds on Euphrasia officinalis, various 

 species of Euphorbia, &c., and the imago appears in May and August. Mr. Stephens possesses a specimen captured 

 near London. 



Note. — The two remaining species are called Dagger Moths, hy collectors, from their peculiar markings. Their larva; also are remarkable, 

 from the protuberance on the back of the fourth segment, whence they have been generically separated by W. Guen(;e, under the name of 

 Semaphora. 



SPECIES 10.— ACRONYCTA PSI. Plate XLIL, Fig. 6, and Plate XLI., Fie. 116. 



Synonymes.— PAateim Noctua Psi, Linna'us ; Fabricius ; Done. I Aurelian, pi. 15 ; Haworth ; Stephens; Wood, Ind. Ent. pi. 14, tig. 315 

 van 4, pi. 133; Albin, pi. «(!, fig. f. ; Wilkes, pi. 60; Harris, I Noctua tridens,n\ji\>nev. 



This species measures U inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of an ashy-brown colour, the costa 

 with several short oblique blackish strigaj ; from the base of the wing runs a black stripe, which is forked at its 

 apex; there is another mark on the space intervening between the stigmata, resembling the letter X ; the 

 ordinary strigre are more or less obliterated, except the third, which is indicated by a slender, irregularly-dentated 

 line, which is crossed towards the apex and the anal angle by two black streaks, each of which forms a mark 

 like the Greek letter ^. The anterior stigma is very faintly indicated by a slender, black, circular line ; and the 

 outer one is nearly obsolete. The cilia is irregularly spotted with brown ; the hind wings brownish, with the 

 nervures and margin darker. 



The caterpillar is hairy and black, with a yellow line down the back, and several red transverse stripes on the 

 sides of each segment, and a white line above the feet ; the fourth segment of the body witli an erect, elongated, 

 black, conical protuberance. It feeds on various trees, as the lime, poplar, beech, &c. ; and the moth appears in 

 June and July, and is one of our most abundant species. 



SPECIES 11.— ACRONYCTA TRIDENS. Plate XLII., Fig. 7, and Plate XLI., Fig. 18. 



SvNONVsiES. — Noctua tridens, Wien. Verz. ; Fabricius; Ochsenheimer ; llawortli ; Albin, pi. 8(1, fig. f. ; Stephens; Wood, Ind. Ent. pi. 14, 



fig. 316. Noctua Psiy Hiibncr. 



This species is very closely allied to the preceding, but is generally somewhat larger, measuring from 1^ to 

 14- inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of a pale ashy gray, with black Psi-like markings ; a black 

 bar runs longitudinally from the base of the wing, and is trifurcate at the tip ; the basal striga is obsolete ; the 

 second one is obliquely waved, and blackish ; the third is much curved and dentated, with two black lines 

 crossing it, as in the preceding species, forming with it the characteristic marks above mentioned ; the costa 

 bears several oblique, dusky bars, indicating the place of the strigfe ; and the space between the stigmata bears 

 another black letter-like mark ; the hind wings are whitish, or white, with a rather darker but almost obsolete 

 border. The cilia of all the wings is marked with brownish spots. 



The caterpillar is hairy and black, with red and white spots on the sides, and a yellow band down the back ; 

 the fourth segment of the body with a conical black tubercle ; the fore segments red above the feet. It feeds on 

 plum, sloe, whitethorn, &c., and the perfect insect appears in May and June, and is commonly found on the 

 trunks of trees, palings, &c. 



