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BRITISH MOTHS 
198 
waves, and various black undulated strigz ; the anterior stigma is obsolete, and the posterior one obscure and 
ashy-coloured, and a brown margin; the third striga terminates on the inner margin by a pale patch. The 
subapical striga pale and waved, the apex spotted with brown; the hind wings pale whitish ash, with a spot 
in the centre, and the border brownish ; the abdomen ashy-yellow. The caterpillar is black, with a row of white 
patches on the back, and another of red spots above the feet on each side : it feeds on Euphrasia officinalis, various 
species of Euphorbia, &c., and the imago appears in May and August. Mr. Stephens possesses a specimen captured 
near London. 

Note.—The two remaining species are called Dagger Moths, by collectors, from their peculiar markings. Their larvee also are remarkable, 
from the protuberance on the back of the fourth segment, whence they have been generically separated by M. Guénée, under the name of 
Semaphora. 
SPECIES 10.—ACRONYCTA PSI. Puare XLIL, Fic. 5, anp Pate XLI., Fie. 116. 
Synonymes.—Phalena Noctua Psi, Linneus; Fabricius; Dono- | Aurelian, pl. 15; Haworth; Stephens; Wood, Ind. Ent. pl. 14, fig. 315 
van 4, pl. 183; Albin, pl. 86, fig. f.; Wilkes, pl. 603 Harris, ' Noctua tridens, Hiibner. 
This species measures 13 inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of an ashy-brown colour, the costa 
with several short oblique blackish strige ; from the base of the wing runs a black stripe, which is forked at its 
apex; there is another mark on the space intervening between the stigmata, resembling the letter KX ; the 
ordinary strige are more or less obliterated, except the third, which is indicated by a slender, irregularly-dentated 
line, which is crossed towards the apex and the anal angle by two black streaks, each of which forms a mark 
like the Greek letter yw. The anterior stigma is very faintly indicated by a slender, black, circular line ; and the 
outer one is nearly obsolete. The cilia is irregularly spotted with brown ; the hind wings brownish, with the 
nervures and margin darker. 
The caterpillar is hairy and black, with a yellow line down the back, and several red transverse stripes on the 
sides of each segment, and a white line above the feet ; the fourth segment of the body with an erect, elongated, 
black, conical protuberance. It feeds on various trees, as the lime, poplar, beech, &c. ; and the moth appears in 
June and July, and is one of our most abundant species. 
SPECIES 11.—ACRONYCTA TRIDENS. Purare XLII, Fic. 7, anp Prats XLL., Fie. 18. 
Synonymes.— Noctua tridens, Wien. Verz.; Fabricius; Ochsenheimer ; Haworth; Albin, pl. 86, fig. f.; Stephens; Wood, Ind. Ent. pl. 14, 
fig. 316. Nociua Psi, Hiibner. 
This species is very closely allied to the preceding, but is generally somewhat larger, measuring from 13 to 
12 inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of a pale ashy gray, with black Psi-like markings ; a black 
bar runs longitudinally from the base of the wing, and is trifurcate at the tip ; the basal striga is obsolete ; the 
second one is obliquely waved, and blackish ; the third is much curved and dentated, with two black lines 
crossing it, as in the preceding species, forming with it the characteristic marks above mentioned; the costa 
bears several oblique, dusky bars, indicating the place of the strige ; and the space between the stigmata bears 
another black letter-like mark ; the hind wings are whitish, or white, with a rather darker but almost obsolete 
border. The cilia of all the wings is marked with brownish spots. 
The caterpillar is hairy and black, with red and white spots on the sides, and a yellow band down the back ; 
the fourth segment of the body with a conical black tubercle ; the fore segments red above the feet. It feeds on 
plum, sloe, whitethorn, &c., and the perfect insect appears in May and June, and is commonly found on the 
trunks of trees, palings, &c. 

