134 



TIIF, SMALL TIGER MOTH. 



I'haltena Planiagines, 



PLATE xc- 



riiiila'iia Plautiigiiies, Linn. Si/st. Nat. ii. p. 820 — Wilkes^s 

 Pap. 24, pi. 3, A. 5. Donovan's Brit. Ins. pi. 134. 



The upper wings are of a reddish cream colour, 

 in some individuals, and of a rich golden yellow in 

 others, clouded with black ; the under wings are 

 bright fawn colour, with numerous large variously 

 shaped clouds or patches of black ; the thorax and 

 abdomen are crimson, bawed with black ; having a 

 large black line down the centre of the back ; the 

 antennsB are black, and tapering from the base to 

 the tips. 



The caterpillar of this species is black, the upper 

 half of it being covered with rather short reddish 

 brown hairs, and the under half with long black 

 recumbent hairs ; it feeds on nettles, chickweed, 

 plantain, grass, &c. It very much resembles that 

 of the Large Tiger Moth, (Vhalama coja,) except in 

 size ; it changes into a chrysalis about the middle of 

 April, and appears in the vv'inged state the latter 

 end of May. The chrysalis is bluish black. 



