199 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



By J. E. Robson ; with figures from life by 

 S. L. Mosley. 



(Assisted by Contributors to the Y. N.) 

 SEMELE, L., Gray Ling. — (P. 14, Fig. 3.) 



" Semele, L., Sem'ele, the mother of 

 Bacchus. Pind. Ol., 11, 18."— A. L. 



ImagO. —PL 14, Fig. 3. Fore wing dull 

 brown, a pale streak near the tip, in which is 

 a white centred black spot ; noarer the anal 

 angle is a large pale patch with a similar eyed 

 spot. Hind wing basal portion and hind 

 margin dull brown, the remainder of the 

 hind wing paler, a small eyed spot near the 

 anal angle. The male is smaller and darker 

 than the female, and the edges of the pale 

 patches not so distinct. 



Larva. —PL M. Fig. 3a.— Ochreous drab, 

 : with darker stripes ; dorsal line dark-brown, 

 edged with paler ; sub-dorsal line dark- 

 brown, with a white line on each side ; be- 

 tween it and the dorsal line is another dark 

 line, the ground colour showing between 

 them. The spiracular line is white, shading 

 off below to pale drab. Spiracles black, head 

 brown, with three lines of darker brown. 

 Mr. Buckler found a larva he had reared 

 from the egg never showed any tendency to 

 bury itself, while another found in May 

 buried itself at once. Those I have had 

 I always concealed themselves below the sur- 

 face during the day. 



Pupa- — PL 14. Fig. 36. — This insect is 

 remarkable for changing to pupa below the 

 surface of the ground in a slight cocoon, and, 

 like most subterranean pupa, is deep dark- 

 red in colour, and smoother and more regu- 

 lar in shape than its congeners. 



Food Plant —Various grasses ; turfy 

 hair grass and early hair grass (Aim ccespitosa 

 and Precox), couch grass, marram, &c. 



Times of Appearance. -The Imago 

 emerges in the latter part of June or July, the 



' eggs are deposited singly on the food plant, 

 I and hatch in a few days. The larva feeds 

 : very slowly in the autumn, and hybernates 

 I when quite small. It feeds up in spring, 

 and is not difficult to find at dusk or after 

 dark, as its pale colour contrasts with the 

 grass stems. It is full fed about the middle 

 1 of June, and remains nearly a month in 

 I pupa. 



Habitat. — Dry banks and rocky places. 

 The Butterfly invariably, as far as my obser- 

 j vation extends, rests on the bare ground when- 

 ever it possibly can. I never saw it sit on a 

 flower, nor, alight on grass or other vegeta- 

 tion when sporting in the sun. Though local 

 ; where it occurs, it is generally distributed 

 throughout the country, is found in Ireland, 

 the I.sle of Man, and in Scotland, except in 

 the more mountainous districts. It is 

 generally distributed throughout Europe, 

 I except in the Polar regions. It is also found 

 in Asia Minor, and in Algeria and Morocco 

 in Africa. 



Variation. — Ssmele is not a species of 

 which aberrant forms often occur ; indeed, 

 except specimens with one side or one wing 

 of the oppo.Mte sex, I have seen none but 

 what may be called local races. Scotch 

 specimens are larger and darker than those 

 from the south of England. Many Irish 

 specimens are much redder than the type, 

 and closely resemble those from Portugal and 

 the north-west corner of Africa. Two forms 

 have been named, AHstaus, Bon., which I 

 have not seen, but understand to have the 

 paler portion of the wings yellower than the 

 type. This variety occurs in Corsica and 

 Sardinia. Another, called Mersina in Staud- 

 inger's Catalogue, is found in Cyprus and in 

 Asia Minor, and has the under-side of the 

 hind wing uniformly grey, instead of being 

 marbled and mottled as in the ordinary 

 type- 

 Parasites.— Though I have had many of 

 these Butterflies from larvae, I have not yet 

 reared a parasite, nor have I seen any re- 

 corded elsewhere. 



