Authors are not at all agreed as to the systematic position of this family,
and there seems to be some difference of opinion as to the species that
properly belong to it. Sir George Hampson {144} has transferred the group
to the Noctuidæ and separated _S. revayana_ from the others, placing it in
his sub-family Sarrothripinæ, to which also belong certain Indian species.
Only four species occur in our islands. Three of these have green fore
wings and pale grey or whitish hind wings. The other species, _Sarrothripa
revayana_, has the fore wings of various shades of grey, brown, or
blackish; its boat-shaped cocoon is very like a small edition of that of
_Hylophila bicolorana_, and, although the caterpillar is in some respects
not very dissimilar to those of the green-winged species, the moth does not
seem quite to be one of their set.
THE CREAM-BORDERED GREEN PEA (_Earias chlorana_).
In size, colour of the fore wings, and general appearance this moth might
be mistaken for the much more common Green Tortrix (_Tortrix viridana_). On
examination however, it will be seen to have white hind wings, whilst those
of the _Tortrix_ are grey. Again, the head, front of thorax, and front edge
of the fore wings are white in the present species (Plate 73).
The caterpillar is green, inclining to whitish on the back, the latter
lined with brownish, and bearing warts on rings six and eleven. It feeds in
July and August on the terminal leaves of osier and willow; these leaves
are drawn together with silk, and the solid appearance of the foliage at
the end of the twig will afford a clue to the probable whereabouts of the
caterpillar when one is searching for it. Chrysalis, brown, darker on the
back, paler on the under parts, and on the wing covers; enclosed in a tough
boat-shaped cocoon which is often constructed on the bark of a twig or stem
of the food plant. As a rule the moth does not emerge until the following
year, but in some years a few will appear in the autumn, and others remain
in the chrysalis until the following May or June.
This species inhabits damp places where there are osiers, {145} and it is
especially common in the fens. It occurs in most of the southern and
eastern counties of England, but does not seem to be recorded from other
parts of the British Isles.
GREEN SILVER LINES (_Hylophila prasinana_).
The bright green fore wings are crossed by two shaded silvery lines, and a
narrow silvery band, the latter running from the tip of the wing to the
inner margin, and usually there is a whitish shade between the two lines;
the fringes are reddish, or pinkish, and the front and inner margins are
tinged with the same colour, sometimes strongly so on the inner margin. The
hind wings of the male are whitish, tinged with yellowish green; fringes
white, more or less tinted with reddish; in the female the hind wings are
entirely silky white. Antennæ reddish (Plate 73).
Caterpillar, green, with yellowish dots, lines on the back, and edging to
first ring of the body; the anal claspers are marked above with red. It
feeds in August and September on the leaves of oak, birch, beech and nut
(Plate 72).
The chrysalis is purplish above merging into pale brown beneath; wing-cases
ochreous brown; the dorsal surface, especially the ring divisions, are
dusted with whitish dots. It is enclosed in a papery cocoon of a pale pinky
brown colour; frequently spun up on the back of a leaf, but also in a
curled leaf, bark chink, or among herbage and litter on the ground.
The moth flies in June and July, and is not uncommon in woods throughout
the greater part of England, it may be beaten from trees, and is often to
be seen sitting on bracken and other undergrowth. It is also found in
Scotland up to Moray, and seems to be pretty generally distributed in
Ireland. The range of this species abroad extends through Northern and
Central Europe, South Russia, Siberia, to Japan. {146}
SCARCE SILVER LINES (_Hylophila bicolorana_).
The green colour of the fore wings of this moth is rather paler than of
those of the last species; they are crossed by two almost parallel
yellowish lines; hind wings white and silky. Antennæ whitish towards the
tip and reddish towards the base (Plate 73).
Caterpillar green, sometimes tinged with yellow, a dark line along the
middle of the back is edged on each side with whitish.
The chrysalis is pale greenish, with a narrow black stripe from the head
along the thorax extending to the fourth abdominal ring; the wing cases
reach the sixth ring, which together with the back of the fifth are
roughened with fine blackish points.
Cocoon boat-shaped with the keel raised at the head end. When the moth
emerges from this end the cocoon closes up tightly again, so that no
opening is to be seen; slight pressure on the back will cause the exit slit
to open.
This rather local species is perhaps commoner in the eastern counties of
England than elsewhere, but it occurs in the oak woods of Berkshire, and
southward to Kent and Hampshire. Much scarcer in the west and midlands, and
apparently unknown in the north. Barrett gives Galway and Queen's County in
Ireland, but adds that it is rare.
Distributed over Central and Southern Europe, and its range extends to
South Sweden, and Asia Minor.