
iar 
a ! : 
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8 BRITISH MOTHS 
, &. 
than the females; others are very pale, and Mr. Curtis mentions a variety in which the hind wings are destitute 
of the brick-red patch. 
ale green, very much shagreened with minute white tubercles, and having a whitish or pale- 
The caterpillar is p 
ceeding segments 
yellow line on the anterior segments, and an oblique one of similar colour upon each of the suc 
the last of which terminates at the base of the tail. The spiracles and membranous feet are pale red, and 
frequently each segment is ornamented with a large red spot, and the sides of the head with a narrow yellow 
line, which meet upon the crown. 
The caterpillar is found at the beginning of the autumn, and feeds on the willow, poplar, andaspen. It goes 
underground to assume the chrysalis state, which is of a dull-brown colour. The moth appears at the end of 
June, the middle of August, and even in September ; in the latter case, the specimens have undergone pupation 
rather earlier than usual, whereas the majority pass that state in the winter. 
This species is, perhaps, the most abundant of our British Sphingide. It occurs throughout England and 
the south of Scotland. It is perhaps on this account that so many instances of gynandromorphism have been 
observed in individuals of this species, in some of which the wings and antennz on the right side are male, and 
those on the left female, as perfectly as if a male and female had been divided lengthways, and the halves of 
the opposite sexes united. 
SPECIES 3.—SMERINTHUS TILLZ. THE LIME HAWK-MOTH. 
Plate i. fig. 7—9. 
Synonymes.—Sphing Tilie, Linneus ; Haworth; Donovan, vol. Smerinthus Tilia, Latreille, Stephens, Wood, Ind. Ent. t. 4, f. 8. 
10, pl. 325. Albin, pl. 10. Wilkes, pl. 23. Harris, Aurelian, pl. | Duncan, Brit. Butt. pl. 4, f. 1. 
20, fig. a—g. Sepp. Ins. v..1, 2, t. 6. Minias Tilia, Hiibner (Verz. bek. Schm.) 
This handsome species varies from rather more than two to about three inches in the expanse of the wings, 
gs 
of which the anterior have the base and disc of a greyish or rosy grey, the centre being marked with a broad bar 
formed of arge olive- 5 ml ying is br 
two large olive-brown patches; the extremity of the wing is broadly olivaceous, the apex of the 
¢ j a ¢ onl aa o E “| r aS = . - ~. . a : > . . 
anterior margin bemg marked with a white or pale buff angulated spot ; the hind wings are reddish grey, haying 
broad oblique dull-brown bar towards the outer margin, which terminates in a gradually-blackened spot at the 
: . . . 
c c Oo . "7 , c ; i irr 5 % i i 1 
anal angle: the fore wings have the apical margin deeply and irregularly incised; and there is a deep scollop 
€ hd € g oO be . ~ 2 * rey a. Je . = < a 
near the anal angle of the hind wings; the body is whitish brown or ash-coloured, the thorax having three 
olivaceous stripes, which meet on the neck. There ar : ieti in. 
pes, k. ere are several varieties, not only in the ground colour of the 
wings, but in the size and form iScOl : i i 
gs, orm of the discoidal patches; and specimens occasionally occur with markings on 
the opposite wings dissimilar. 
The caterpillar is granuls in front ; 
1 granulated, and attenuated in front; of a green colour, with several oblique whitish 
stripes on each side, margined with reddish or yellow i il i 
e ; ; 
| | : o yellow in front ; the tail is of moderate length, and there is a 
granular protuberance over the anus ; 1 rati is j 
9 p anus ; the head, also, is comparatively small. The chrysalis is reddish brown 
and rough ; it is found underground. 
This species is found in tl i 
s 1e neighbourhoo -tr shi i 
ace g d of lime-trees and elms, upon which the caterpillar chiefly feeds ; 
it 1s, however, occasionally found on the alder, bir c ino i : 
y er, birch, and oak, appearing in this state at the end of the summer, 
and the moth coming forth in the following May, but sometimes not until J uly and August 
gust. 
I . . . | 
uncommon in the north of England, and not to occur at all in Scotland. 
