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47 



PYRAUSTA PURPURALIS. THE CRIMSON AND GOLD MOTH. 



Plate XXVIII. fig. I. 



Synonyms. Phatena (Pyralis) Purpuralis, Linn. Syst. Nat. ii. p. 883. Bonov. Brit. Bis. x. pi. 339. f. 2. 

 Pyrausta Purpuralis, Stephens, Curtis. 



Upper Side. The antennae are like fine hairs. The head, thorax, and superior wings are 

 of a deep crimson : the latter bordered and spotted with gold colour. The inferior wings are 

 black, fringed with yellow ; a bar of the same colour crossing each wing, parallel to the fan edge ; 

 above which is a small yellow speck. It is shewn in the plate at (7). They are taken in May, 

 among nettles. 



Expansion of the wings three-quarters of an inch. 



LASIOCAMPA QUERCUS. THE GREAT EGGER MOTH. 



Plate XXIX. fig. a—f. 



Synonyms. Phalsena (Bombyx) Quercus, Linn. Syst. Nat. ii. p, 814. Bonovan Brit. Ins. iii.pl. 104. 

 fig. 1. 2. Albins Ins. pi. 18. Wilkes* Eng. Moths, pi. 46. 

 Lasiocampa Quercus. Schrank. Buncan Brit. Moths, pi. 17. fig. 3. 

 Lasiocampa Roboris, Schrank ? Stephens ? 



Upper Side. The antennae are brown and pectinated. The thorax and abdomen are of a 

 deep fox colour. The wings are also of a fox colour, having a bar crossing each, of a dark gold 

 colour ; between each and the shoulder, in the superior wings, is a strong white spot. 



The under side has half the wings toward the body of a dark red brown ; the outer parts 

 are of a dark gold colour. The female moth has much the same markings, but the colours are 

 generally paler. The male is shewn at (e), displaying the upper side ; and the under side is seen 

 at (f). The upper side of the female is shewn at (d). 



The caterpillar, seen at (a), feeds on the white-thorn, and is in that state during the winter 

 season. About the middle of May it spins itself up in a brown case, and changes into chrysalis, 

 as at (b) and (c) ; and the moths appear the middle of June. They are generally taken by 

 sembling: the manner is to go out with a live female in a box, covered over with gauze, and having 

 arrived at a convenient place, such as a lane, near woods, &c. there set it down on the ground, 

 and be prepared with the nets, as the males, smelling the female, will quickly be flying about the 

 box. Not only this, but any of the other species of Phalena may be taken by sembling, provided 

 the female insect be tied round the middle with a piece of sewing thread, and fastened to some 

 place near where there is a brood. 



Expansion of the wings %\ — S\ inches. 



Many curious instances of the property mentioned above under the name of 

 sembling are recorded in various works, from which it appears by no means clear 

 as to the means whereby the males obtain intelligence of the presence of their 

 partners— often at very great distances, and in situations apparently inaccessible to 

 them. Mr. Haworth mentions an instance in which a male of this insect found its 

 way into the pocket of a collector, who happened to have a female in his collecting 

 box ; and Mr. Davis mentions another instance in which a male actually came 

 down a chimney. (Mag. Nat. Hist. No. 4.) 



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