132 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



of May in forward seasons, it also one of the 

 commonest of the genus, and should be met 

 with by every collector in his first season. 

 It comes very freely to sugar, and also sits 

 on palings. The beautiful little larva may 

 be found almost everywhere, in gardens it 

 appears rather partial to pot herbs, and is 

 certain to be found on a bed of mint. It 

 feeds during the day, and its brilliant colour 

 renders it very conspicuous. 



A curious blunder was made by Curtis 

 with reference to this insect. A dark form 

 referred to below under the head "varia- 

 tion" is not uncommon in some places in the 

 north. With this form he figured the larva 

 of Menvanthidis, and gave the same species 

 the name of Sjlicis. When " Stainton's 

 Manual" was published, he described Salicis 

 as a good species, but called attention to its 

 close resemblance to Rumicis ; the larva he 

 described from Curtis's figure. 



"Rumicis, L., Rumicis, feeds on Dock 

 {Rumex acetosa) and on various other plants." 

 — A.L. 



Imago. — Bluish grey, marbled and 

 spotted with darker. There are two distinct 

 white spots, one above the other, near the 

 anal angle, by which it may be readily dis- 

 tinguished from the other species of the 

 genus. 



Larva. — Only a very lengthy descrip- 

 tion could give a full account of this beauti- 

 ful little larva, and then the sense would 

 probably be lost in the multiplicity of words. 

 The ground colour is greyish brown, dis- 

 tinctly divided at the segments, and covered 

 with raised warts emitting tufts of hairs. 

 On the back of each segment is an orange- 

 coloured spot surrounded with black, on 

 each side of which is a pure white spot, and 

 behind is a reddish streak. The spiracles 

 are pure white encircled by black, with 

 white spots on either side and red below. 

 The hairs are reddish brown. The larva 



must be seen and examined for its beauty to 

 be fully appreciated. 



Pupa. — Dark reddish brown, in a co- 

 coon spun near the ground among the leaves 

 of the food-plants. 



Food Plants. — Almost an universal 

 feeder. It is called the knot grass from a 

 supposed preference to that plant, but I 

 never saw the larva upon it. My own ex- 

 perience of its preference has already been 

 given. Newman speaks of it being "parti- 

 cularly fond of those strawberries which are 

 cultivated under the name of " Alpine." 



Times of Appearance.— The imago 



emerges at the end of May in forward sea- 

 sons, and in June, and continues till July. 

 The larva is full fed by the end of August 

 or early in September, when it spins a co- 

 coon as above. I have no knowledge 

 of the eggs, but should expect them to be 

 deposited in batches on a suitable food- 

 plant. 



Habitat. — a. rumicis is generally dis- 

 tributed throughout Great Britain and Ire- 

 land. It frequents railway banks, gardens^ 

 fields, &c., and is tolerably abundant wher- 

 ever it occurs. It is found all over Europe, 

 except in the extreme north, and extends 

 across Northern Asia, but does not reach 

 the Indian borders. 



Variation. — With the exception of the 

 variety Salicis spoken of above, rumicis does 

 not vary. Salicis is said by Stainton to be 

 smaller than the type, but I have not found 

 it so. It is dark brownish grey, the paler 

 motlings of the type being replaced by dark 

 scales, so that it is tolerably uniform in hue, 

 except a row of pale spots at the hind mar- 

 gin and the two conspicuous spots near the 

 anal angle spoken of in describing the 

 type. 



