
192 BRITISH MOTHS 
angulated series of slender black arches, and the apical portion of the wing is mottled with whitish and pale 
brown, with a slightly distinct fulvous subapical striga ; the hind wings are ashy with a brown margin. 
Mr. Haworth suggests that this and the allied species have derived their common name of Ranunculus moths 
from a fancied resemblance in some of their markings to the double Ranunculus flower, especially the radiated 
mark near the posterior stigma. The caterpillar is dark green, or greenish brown, with a pale longitudinal line 
above the feet. It feeds on lettuce, wormwood, &c. The moth, which is rather abundant, appears in July. 

SPECIES 9.—POLIA SERENA. Prats XL., Fie. 13, 14. 
Synonymes.—Wociua serena, Wien. Verz.; Fabricius; Hiibner ; Noctua bicolorata, Hufnagle. 
Haworth ; Treitschke ; Stephens; Wood, Ind. Ent., pl. 14, fig. 306. Ph. Noct. Par., Donovan, vol. x. pl. 338, f. 35; Harris Exp., 
Noctua bicolor, Naturforscher, 9, 137. pl. 4, f. 8. 
This beautiful but common insect measures about 11 inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are white, 
with the central characteristic part rich brown or ochraceous, or deep brown varied with black marks ; the basal 
striga is interrupted, consisting of an angulated black line, preceded by a brownish patch at the base ; the second 
striga is slightly waved and white, bordered before with a dusky line, and behind by the black edge of the 
central dark bar. The stigmata are brown, with the margin white ; the third striga resembles the second, but is 
much curved and formed of a series of white arches edged as in the second striga. Towards the apex on the 
costa (which is throughout varied with dark spots) is a triangular dusky patch; the apical portion of the wing 
is almost white, or occasionally more mottled, the striga being only very slightly indicated ; there are. however, 
two more conspicuous dusky spots above the middle towards the margin. The apex is formed by a pale brown 
sinuated line, and the cilia is spotted with white and brown ; the hind wings are brown, with the base pale. 
The caterpillar is dark green, with dark patches on the back, and a pale line above the feet. It feeds on 
Leontodon hispidum, Sonchus palustris, &c. ; and the moth, which is an abundant species, is found in June, on 
shady palings and trunks of trees. 

SPECIES 10.—POLIA CHI. Puate XL., Fie. 15. 
Synonymes.— Ph. Noctua Chi, Linneus; Hiibner; Haworth; Donovan, vol. 12, pl.406; Albin, pl. 83, fig. C. D.; Stephens ; Wood, 
Ind. Ent, pl. 14, fig. 308. Polia olivacea, Stephens (variety). 
This species measures nearly 13 inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of a whitish-gray colour 
clouded with ashy or fulvous brown, and marked towards the middle with a black Greek x. The basal striow 
to) 
are almost lost in the clouding of this part of the wing; the ordinary stigmata are pale, the centre being only 
slightly rufescent, the space between and behind them is somewhat darker than the rest of the wing, and it is 
on this part that the Greek character is found, connecting in fact the second and third strige, which latter 
consists of a curved series of white arches, edged with slender brown lines; the apical striga is almost indistinct, 
being chiefly indicated by the black or blackish dashes which rest upon it within. The hind wings are nearly 
white, with a central dusky lunule and a subapical irregular dusky striga. 
Polia olivacea, described by Mr. Stephens in the appendix to the 3rd volume of his Illustrations as measur- 
ing 1}. inch in the expanse of the fore wings, and of a green olive colour, with four denticulated white strige 
and black markings; the stigmata faintly bordered with black and white, and the cilix ashy white, with 
olivaceous spots, and taken at Cramond, near Edinburgh, by Mr. Little ; has subsequently been considered as a 
variety of P. Chi. (Ill. H. 4, p. 389.) 
The caterpillar is green, with two white lines on the sides; it feeds on Lactuca sativa, Sonchus oleraceus, 
Aquilegia vulgaris, Arctium lappa, &c.; and the moth appears in July. It appears to be an abundant 
species in the northern counties of England. 
