42 PLATE CCXXXH. 



Phalaena Quercifolia is a rare and interefting Infea, and is the 

 largeft. of the Englifh bombyces, if we follow the arrangement of 

 the" Entomohgla Syjhmatica of Fabricius, and remove the Linnaean 

 Bombyx Coffus * to a new genus t. 



The trivial name Lappet Moth has been given to this fpecies by 

 fome early Colleftors of Englifh Infe&s, becaufe they obferved, 

 when the creature was at reft, and the wings expanded in a natural 

 pofition, that the anterior part of the fecond pair lapped over the firft, 

 inftead of the firft pair repofingon the fecond, as in many other fpecies 

 of Phalaena. This appearance is very ftriking, but not peculiar to 

 Phalaena Quercifolia. Bombyces, with fimilar reverfed wings, are 

 numerous, and feveral of them natives of this country ; as Pbal. 

 Quercus, Potatoria, &c. 



In a former volume we have given The Pine Lappet Moth ; an 

 Infeft that is extremely uncommon in Great Britain ; that, with 

 the prefent fpecies, are the only two Britifh Phalaena called Lappet 

 Moths; another Infeft clofely allied to P. Quercifolia, and fup- 

 pofed to be the Pbal. Populifolia, is faid to be an Englifh Infecl, but 

 on what authority we are not informed. The very different appear- 

 ances of the larva of Phal. Quercifolia in different ftages of its/ 

 growth, may poffibly have caufed fome miftake ; for in one {kin they 

 are brown, with whitifh marks; in another greyifh, with dark 

 "brown marks; and when of a full fize, are more inclined to brown 

 and grey in fome fpecimens than in others. Notwithftanding, 

 however, the variation of colours, in all its changes, we find that 

 the two oval blue marks on the fecond and third fegment of the 

 body are conftant, and fufficient to determine the fpecies. The 

 larva of Bombyx Populifolia is very fimilar to that of B- Quercifolia, 

 when young, if we may judge by the only figure of it extant, but 

 the mark acrofs the fecond fegment is narrow and black ; that on 

 the third fegment broader, with two femi-lunated red fpots. — -Fide 

 Kleemans Beytraege, &c. Vol. 3. tab. 14. 



* Goat Moth, i Cofius ligr.iperda Fai. 



The 



