
BRITISH MOTHS 
236 
metallic markings; the hind ones bright-coloured, with a broad, dark, apical margin ; the eyes are naked. The 
caterpillars elongated, submoniliform, with the head small and capable of partial contraction within the first 
segment; the body with very distinct setigerous tubercles. They feed upon the flowers of low-growing herbs ; 
and bury themselves underground in order to pass the chrysalis state. 

SPECIES 1.—HELIOTHIS MARGINATA. Puave LIII., Fie. 1. 
Synonyme.—Noctua marginata, Fabricius; Treitschke; Dono- Noctua rutila, Wien. Verz.; Hiibner (variety). 
van, 5, pl. 150, fig. 1 ; Haworth ; Stephens; Wood, Ind. Ent. pl. 16, Noctua umbra, Borkhausen. 
fig. 408. | Noctua umbrago, Esper. 
This species measures about 14 inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of an orange colour, varied 
with reddish and brown markings; and the strige are nearly equidistant; the basal one slightly curved ; 
the second very much bidentated; the third angulated outwards, and extending between the two ordinary 
stigmata, which are distinguished only by their dusky, marginal lines ; the fourth striga is more oblique, and 
beyond this the colour of the wing is deeper orange red, with the subapical striga formed of brown lunules ; the 
extreme margin with a dark line ; the cilia bright purplish; the hind wings clay-coloured, with the base, a 
central lunule, and a marginal border, of dark brown. Noctua rutilago is a variety, with the basal portion of 
the wing more saturated. The caterpillar feeds on Ononis spinosa, and is green, with reddish-brown shades, 
with a dusky dorsal and pale lateral lines. The moth is not very rare, frequenting the woods in the south of 
England, from Kent to Devonshire ; and it has also been taken by Mr. Paget at Lowestoft. 
SPECIES 2.—HELIOTHIS PELTIGERA. Puare LIII., Fie. 2, 3. 
&5 
Synonymes.—WNoctua peltigera, Wien. Verz.; Hiibner; Treit- | Noctua barbara, Fabricius. 
schke ; Stephens ; Wood, Ind. Ent. pl. 16, fig. 409. | Noctua straminea, Donovan, 2, pl. 61 (incorrectly represented 
| 
| 
Noctua scutigera, Borkhausen. | with a row of nine silvery spots on each of the fore wings). 
Noctua florentina, Esper. Phytomeira straminea, Haworth. 
This species measures about 1¢ inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of a straw-clay colour, with 
the strigee forming various slight cloudings ; the ordinary stigmata small, and almost obliterated; the posterior 
one scarcely more than a brown spot ; and between it and the apical margin is a double row of minute brown 
lunules ; the apical margin with a row of minute black dots ; a dusky patch towards the extremity of the costa ; 
the hind wings whitish-clay, with a central lunule ; veins and border brown, the latter bearing a whitish spot on 
the outside. This species is variable in the depth of its markings. 
The caterpillar is very similar to that of the preceding species, and the perfect insect is a rare, although a 
very widely-dispersed species ; found from June to August, and frequenting clover-fields, hovering over the 
flowers in the sunshine, 

SPECIES 3.—HELIOTHIS DIPSACEA. Puare LIII., Fie. 4. 
Synonymes.—Phalena Noctua dipsacea, Lint : ay 397 fo ! t 
acti psacea, Linneeus; Donovan, 10, pl. 327, fig. 3; Hiibner; Haworth; Stephens ; Wood, Ind. Ent. 
pl. 16, fig. 410. 
This species measures 1} inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of a pale brown colour, with 
numerous small dusky dots scattered over the base and apical portion of the wing, indicating the place of the 
strige and anterior stigma; across the middle of the wing runsa dark, rich, eee bar, extending to the costa ; 
the apical margin with a row of dark dots; the hind wings whitish buff, with a large patch in the centre 
(extending to the base on the outside) and a broad marginal band, in which is a pale spot, in the middle of the 
outer edge, of dark brown. Beneath, the fore wings are nearly white, with two large black spots and a bar 
formed of confluent black dots. The caterpillar is red, with the head ash-coloured, and interrupted white lines 

