orthosia] CARADRINIDAE 



to white spots on 2, 3, 6, and 12; head ochreous-brown : on 

 oak, beech, etc., but often habitually carnivorous, feeding on 

 other larvae of Lepidopte.ra ; 5, 6. 



11. Conistra, Hb. 

 Head rough-haired ; eyes glabrous, ciliated. Antennae in 

 <$ ciliated. Palpi hairy throughout. Thorax with slight 

 anterior crest. Abdomen broad, rather flattened, not crested. 



A small genus of closely allied species, inhabiting temperate 

 regions of the northern hemisphere ; it is correlated with the 

 preceding. The imagos appear in late autumn and hybernate. 



1. Forewings with numerous series of blackish dots 



1. rvbiyinea. 

 ,, without such series . . .2. 



2. Reniform with three black dots beneath 



2. erythrocephala. 

 „ without separate black dots . 3. 



3. Forewings dark brown, apex quadrate . 3. ligula. 



,, reddish-ochreous, apex obtuse 4. vaccinii. 



1. C. rubiginea, F. 33-36 mm. Forewings ferruginous- 

 yellowish or ferruginous-ochreous, sometimes partly tinged 

 with ferruginous-brown ; subbasal, first, second, and subtcr- 

 minal lines edged with blackish dots, and two or three 

 additional series of blackish dots; orbicular and reniform 

 faintly outlined with pale, lower end of reniform blackish. 

 Hindwings rather dark fuscous. 



England to York, E. and S. Ireland, local and uncommon ; 

 N. and 0. Europe ; 10-3. Larva purplish-brown, clothed with 

 golden -brown hairs; dorsal, subdorsal, and spiracular lines 

 obscurely paler, surrounded by blackish freckles ; a dorsal scries 

 of blackish spots : on Taraxacum, Rumex, apple, etc. ; 5, 6. The 

 colouring of the imago is very suggestive of a faded elm-leaf. 



2. 0. erythrocephala, F. 35-39 mm. Head light reddish- 

 ochreous. Forewings grcyish-ochreous, more or less mixed or 

 suffused with light red-brown ; subbasal, first, second, and sub- 

 terminal lines paler, darker-edged ; orbicular and reniform 

 paler-edged, lower end of reniform marked with two or three 

 black dots; a reddish-brown costal praesubtcrminal spot. 

 Hindwings fuscous, darker terminally. 



Kent to Devon, local and rare; C. Europe; 10-3. Larva 

 fuscous ; spiracular line whitish : on Galium, Flantac/o, etc. ; 5. 



3. C. ligula, Bap. (spadicea, Hw., nee Hb.) 29-32 mm. 

 Forewings with apex quadrate ; dark ferruginous-brown, some- 



