36 PHILEA IRRORELLA. 



Philea IRRORELLA. 

 Plate XLII, fig. 4. 



On July 30th, 1865, some eggs were received from 

 Dr. Knaggs, and noted as globular, pearly in texture, 

 clear purplish-brown in colour. The larvae hatched 

 August 13th, but no note of them was taken, and they 

 must soon have perished for want of the proper food 

 and treatment. There is no doubt, however, that in 

 their natural habitat they must hybernate when small 

 and feed up in the early summer. 



On May 24th, 1867, after considerable search, a 

 number were found, then approaching full growth, on 

 the Sussex coast. The food is a blackish-brown 

 lichen, growing on stones above high-water mark, and 

 in some cases mixed with a yellow lichen, a fact of 

 much interest when the colouring of the larva is con- 

 sidered. The larva seems fond of sunshine, moving 

 about in it slowly over the stones ; when about to 

 moult it protects itself by spinning overhead a number 

 of silken threads, under cover of which it remains 

 until the moult is completed. 



The moths were bred early in July. 



When the larva is full grown its length is about six- 

 eighths of an inch, the figure proportionate, mode- 

 rately stout, tapering a little from the fourth segment 

 to the head, and again at the thirteenth ; six raised 

 tubercles on each segment studded with longish hairs ; 

 the ground colour blackish-brown above, and dark 

 reddish-grey or purplish-grey on the sides ; belly and 

 legs reddish. The dorsal stripe takes the form of a 

 series of deep, brilliant yellow, acorn-shaped marks, 

 the acorns pointing backwards, and so placed that the 

 segmental folds mark the separation between the cup 

 and the fruit ; the paler and duller yellow subdorsal 

 line much interrupted ; the spiracular stripe of bright 

 yellow also much interrupted ; the raised tubercles 

 blackish ; the hairs blackish-brown ; the ground on 



