THE TURNIP MOTH (_Agrotis_ (_Euxoa_) _segetum_).
The ordinary form of the male and the female is represented on Plate 104.
The species is an exceedingly variable one, and Haworth (1803), believing
them to be distinct species, gave Latin and English names to several of the
different forms. The ground colour in the male ranges from pale whitish or
brownish ochreous, with strong markings, to blackish brown, with the
markings obscured. The female ranges in colour of {202} fore wings from
greyish to blackish. Caterpillar, greyish brown, tinged with ochreous, or
sometimes pinkish; a glossy plate on first ring, greyish or brownish; spots
glossy, each with a tiny hair; lines rather darker, but often indistinct.
It feeds from July to April on various plants, but only attacks the tender
stems near the surface of the ground. In fields it is destructive to
turnips and swedes, making large cavities in the bulb, which it enters from
just above the tap-root. The moth flies in June, and occasionally as a
second generation in the autumn. Generally distributed over the British
Isles, and often very common. Its range extends throughout nearly the whole
of Europe and the greater part of Asia.
THE ARCHER'S DART (_Agrotis_ (_Euxoa_) _vestigialis_).
The specimens shown on Plate 104 are typical of the sexes (Figs. 1[male],
3[female]). The normal pale brown colour is sometimes replaced by greyish,
reddish, or olive brown. A specimen with black fore and hind wings has been
recorded from North Wales by Mr. Jäger. The markings vary in intensity, and
occasionally are almost or quite absent. Several of the varieties have been
named. The caterpillar, which feeds on bed-straw and various grasses, etc.,
is greenish grey, inclining to brownish above, with a dark-edged pale line
along the middle of the back, and a similar line on each side; the raised
spots are black, and the plate on first ring brownish; head ochreous,
marked with darker. August to May. The moth is out in July and August, and
is chiefly found on sandhills by the sea. It is most plentiful on the
eastern and southern coasts, and in Cheshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire: it
is often not uncommon in the Brandon and Tuddenham districts, and others,
in the "Breck Sand" area of Suffolk and Norfolk. The species has been
recorded from Worcestershire, and I understand that a few specimens were
taken in Surrey last August (1907). In Scotland it occurs on the east
coast, and in the Orkney Isles; also in Ayr, on the south-west. In Ireland,
also, it is found on suitable parts of the coast.
[Illustration]
Pl. 106.
1, 2. SAND DART.
3, 4. COAST DART.
5, 6. GARDEN DART.
7, 8, 11. WHITE LINE DART.
9, 10. WHITE-LINE DART, _var. aquilina._
12. SQUARE-SPOT DART.
[Illustration]
Pl. 107.
1. TRUE-LOVER'S KNOT.
2, 3. HEATH RUSTIC.
4. PORTLAND MOTH.
5, 6. STOUT DART.
7, 8. DOTTED RUSTIC.
9, 10. NORTHERN RUSTIC.
{203} THE HEART AND CLUB (_Agrotis_ (_Euxoa_) _corticea_).
The more usual form of the male and the female are shown on Plate 105
(Figs. 7[male], 8[female]). The colour varies from pale brown to a whitish
or greyish brown tint in one direction, and to reddish or blackish brown in
another. The cross lines, generally well defined, are sometimes absent, or
nearly so, in some of the pale forms, and much obscured in the dark forms.
The black outlined reniform and orbicular stigmata are sometimes obscured
by a blackish cloud; the pale-centred, club-like mark below them varies in
length, and is occasionally reduced to a small spot. "_Noctua subfusca_,"
Haworth, has been determined by Mr. E. R. Bankes, who possesses the type,
to be an obscurely marked fuscous [male] example of this species. The
greyish brown, rather rough-looking caterpillar, is freckled with a darker
tint above, and inclined to greenish below; a fine, pale line along the
middle of the back is edged with brownish, and on each side there is a pale
line, edged above with brown, and below this a double pale line; head
marked with blackish (Plate 109, Fig. 1). It feeds from March to April,
after hibernation, on various low-growing plants, including goose-foot
(_Chenopodium_), persicaria, knotgrass, dock, and clover. The moth is on
the wing in June and July, and very occasionally in September. It is rather
a common insect in eastern and southern counties bordering the sea, but
extends into Surrey, and occasionally into Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, and
Berkshire; and is also found more or less frequently in Herefordshire,
Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire. In
Scotland it occurs in Ayr, and on the eastern side to Moray. It has been
taken in various {204} counties, on the coast, of Ireland from Cork to
Sligo, and from Wicklow to Derry.
THE LIGHT FEATHERED RUSTIC (_Agrotis_ (_Euxoa_) _cinerea_).
Both sexes are shown in their typical forms on Plate 105. The fore wings of
the male (Fig. 9) are generally pale greyish in colour, with blackish cross
lines and central shade; the claviform mark is absent, and the orbicular
stigma usually so, or represented by a dusky dot; sometimes the ground
colour is brownish, occasionally purplish grey, and very rarely black. The
female (Fig. 10) is smaller, and always much darker.
The caterpillar is blackish green or dark greyish, with three fine pale
lines, the central one edged on both sides, and the others edged above,
with a darker tint; a pale stripe along the black spiracles; head, and
plate on first ring black. It feeds on wild thyme, and is said to eat dock.
It hatches from the egg in late June or early July, and presumably
hibernates when full grown, as it does not seem to feed again when it
reappears in early spring.
The moth flies in May and June, and is only to be found on hills and downs
in chalk or limestone districts. It occurs in Surrey, Dorset, Isle of
Wight, Devon, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, North Wales, Berkshire,
Oxfordshire, Cambridge, and Suffolk; it seems to have been most frequently
met with in Kent and Sussex. The small form, with narrow and distinctly
marked fore wings, and whitish hind wings, occurring in the south of
England, has been named var. _tephrina_, Staud.
THE SHUTTLE-SHAPED DART (_Agrotis_ (_Euxoa_) _puta_).
As will be seen by the figures on Plate 104, the sexes of this species also
differ greatly in colour. Usually the cross lines on the fore wings of the
male do not show up so distinctly as in {205} Fig. 2, which closely
approaches a form figured and described as _radiola_ by Stephens in 1829.
Fig. 5 represents the typical blackish-brown female. Gynandrous specimens,
one side [male] the other [female], have been recorded. The caterpillar
feeds on dandelion, lettuce, knotgrass, and other low-growing plants, from
September to April; probably full grown before hibernation. The moth, which
is out in July and August, sometimes in May, is partial to low-lying,
marshy ground and meadows, and is widely distributed over the whole of the
south of England, but it is seemingly rare in the north, and still more so
in Scotland and Ireland. Barrett states that it has been found commonly in
Carmarthenshire, Wales.
THE CRESCENT DART (_Agrotis_ (_Euxoa_) _lunigera_).
Although its position in classification is that of a local form of _A.
trux_, Hübn., this moth, which is figured on Plate 105, Figs. 1[male],
2[female], may here retain the name that was given to it by Stephens in
1829. Except that it has been reported to occur in the north of France, it
seems to be peculiar to the British Isles. The earliest known specimens
were captured near Cork in Ireland, June, 1826, and it is now found not
only on the coasts of Cork and Kerry, but also on the Hill of Howth, near
Dublin. In England it occurs in the Isle of Wight, Dorsetshire (Portland),
Devonshire (Torquay), Cornwall, and the Scilly Isles. Reported from Sussex
in 1918. In Wales it is to be found above Barmouth, and in various parts of
South Wales; and in Scotland around Edinburgh and on the Moray coast. The
moth is out in July and August. Mr. A. E. Gibbs, writing of this species in
Cornwall, remarks, "It is generally stated that _A. lunigera_ is only to be
taken on steep and dangerous cliffs, in places where sugaring is by no
means a safe occupation; but its abundance at Polzeath showed that this is
not invariably the case. Here it was found on posts and flower heads in the
valley at some {206} distance from the seashore, and so abundantly did it
occur that one evening's work yielded upwards of fifty specimens."
The caterpillar is greyish or greenish grey, inclining to brownish above,
and with darker brown marks on the back; lines paler, edged sometimes with
darker grey; raised spots blackish, rather glossy; head brownish, marked
with black, and the plate on first ring is black with a central yellow
line. It feeds from August to May on various low plants growing in rocky
places by the sea. Will eat dandelion, plantain, and knotgrass in
confinement, also sliced carrot.
THE COAST DART (_Agrotis_ (_Euxoa_) _cursoria_).
The specimens whose portraits will be found on Plate 106 are more or less
typical of the sexes of this most variable species. The ground colour of
the fore wings ranges from whitish ochreous through all shades of brown up
to dark reddish, and from whitish grey through leaden grey to brown grey.
The markings, too, are exceedingly variable; the cross lines are often
faint, sometimes entirely absent; the stigmata are frequently obscure, and
occasionally the blackish lower part of the reniform is the only indication
of these marks. There is often a white streak along the costa, and in some
specimens this is very conspicuous (Figs. 3[male], 4[female]).
The caterpillar feeds from September to June on various grasses growing on
sandhills, and is said to eat wormwood and violet. It is ochreous in
colour, more or less tinged with green; the lines are pale grey, edged with
darker grey; spots brown, and head ochreous brown.
The moth is on the wing from late July to early September, and is to be
found on all the larger tracts of sandhills on the east coast from Suffolk
northwards, and on the coasts of Cheshire and Lancashire. It is not common
on our southern coasts, but occurs in Dorsetshire and Devon. In Scotland it
is obtained {207} on the Firth of Forth, Kincardine, and Aberdeen coasts,
and also in the Hebrides, Orkney, and Shetland Isles; and on very many
parts of the coast of Ireland.
THE GARDEN DART (_Agrotis_ (_Euxoa_) _nigricans_).
This moth is typically sooty or blackish brown in both sexes (Plates 106,
Figs. 5[male], 6[female]), but varies to pale brown, or through various
shades of red brown. The markings, usually obscure, occasionally are well
defined, and sometimes there are additional black spots and pale streaks.
The caterpillar is pale or dark ochreous brown on the back, inclining to
greenish on the sides; lines greenish grey, edged with black, and a double
whitish one low down on the sides. It feeds from September to June, on
clover, plantain, dock, and various other low plants; and also cow-parsnip
and other umbelliferæ. The moth flies in July and August, and is to be
found in most English counties, but perhaps most commonly in the eastern.
In Scotland it ranges to Moray, and seems to be generally distributed in
Ireland.
THE WHITE-LINE DART (_Agrotis_ (_Euxoa_) _tritici_).
This is another exceedingly variable species. The ground colour of the fore
wings ranges from pale whitish or ochreous brown, through various tints of
greyish and red brown, up to black or sooty brown; variation in markings is
somewhat similar to that referred to in _A. cursoria_. Three forms are
shown on Plate 106, Figs. 7, 8, and 11; the latter represents a specimen
closely approaching _A. obelisca_. Var. _aquilina_ (Figs. 9 and 10), the
English name of which is the Streaked Dart, is larger than the type, and
the wings, consequently, are broader; by some entomologists it is
considered to be a distinct species.
The caterpillar is obscure greyish or brownish, with a dark-edged pale line
along the middle of the back, and a dusky line {208} on each side of it;
low down on the sides is another dusky line. It feeds from September to May
on mouse-ear chickweed, bedstraw, plantain, and other low-growing plants
growing on sandy soils.
The moth is out in July and August, and is widely distributed throughout
the British Isles, including the Orkneys and Shetlands, but especially
common on coast sandhills.
THE SQUARE-SPOT DART (_Agrotis_ (_Euxoa_) _obelisca_).
The fore wings of this moth (Plate 106, Fig. 12) are pale greyish brown,
purplish brown, or sometimes slaty brown, with fairly distinct black cross
lines, and a pale streak along the front edge; the first line is straight
and less angled, and the second line less curved towards the front margin
than in _A. tritici_. The caterpillar, which feeds from about October to
July on rock rose, bedstraw, and other low plants growing in rocky places
by the sea or on hillsides, is very similar to that of the last species.
The moth is out in August and September in its special haunts. A well-known
locality for it is Freshwater in the Isle of Wight, but it may be obtained
at Torquay, Devonshire; Padstow, Cornwall; and the Scilly Isles. Also
recorded from Sussex, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, South Wales,
Derbyshire, Cheshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire. In Scotland on the
south-west and east coasts; and in Ireland at Howth, Dublin; Dungarvan, Co.
Waterford; and Mt. Charles, Donegal.
THE HEART AND DART (_Agrotis_ (_Feltia_) _exclamationis_).
On Plate 105 are figured two examples of the male (Figs. 3, 4) and two
female specimens (Figs. 5, 6). The colour of the fore wings ranges from
pale whitish brown through various shades of brown and grey to a sooty
brown or black. The cross lines are rarely very distinct, the reniform,
orbicular, and claviform marks are, however, generally much in evidence;
but either of the two last, sometimes both, may occasionally disappear. Not
infrequently the reniform is connected with the orbicular by a black streak
from the former; more rarely the claviform is much widened and lengthened,
and almost united with a dusky cloud above it (var. _plaga_, Steph.). This
species is sometimes mistaken for _A. corticea_, but apart from the shorter
teeth of the male antennæ, the present species has a distinct, and often
conspicuous, black mark on the front of the thorax.
[Illustration]
Pl. 108.
1, 2, 4, 5. NORTHERN DART.
3. ROSY MARSH MOTH.
[Illustration]
Pl. 109.
1. HEART AND CLUB: _caterpillar_.
2. HEATH RUSTIC: _caterpillar_.
3. NEGLECTED RUSTIC: _caterpillar_.
4. TRUE-LOVER'S KNOT: _caterpillar_.
{209} The caterpillar is brownish with darker pear-shaped marks on the
back; lines dark edged; spiracles black and of large size. Head pale marked
with brown. It feeds from July to May on various low herbage, including
lettuce, chickweed, plantain, and goose-foot; also turnips.
The moth flies in June and July (sometimes in September), and is generally
common; but in Scotland it does not appear to extend north of Moray and
Argyle.
THE DARK SWORD GRASS (_Agrotis ypsilon_).
The sexes of this moth are represented on Plate 104, Figs. 7 [male] and 8
[female]. In occasional specimens of the male the ground colour of the fore
wings is rather pale brown; otherwise there is little variation to note.
The caterpillar feeds from April to July on roots and leaves of cabbage,
lettuce, goose-foot, and many low plants; also on swedes, mangold wurzel,
etc. It is purplish or bronzy brown above and somewhat greener on the
sides; the usual spots are blackish and the lines greyish edged with
darker. Head black with two white spots. The moth is on the wing from July
to September, and as it is sometimes seen in April and May and earlier, it
is said to have probably hibernated. Possibly, however, such early
specimens, found at least once in February, are immigrants. Sometimes the
species is common and at others rare. It has occurred at one time or other
almost everywhere in the British Isles, but it seems to be most regularly
obtained in England and in Ireland. {210} Abroad its range extends through
Europe, Asia, and North America, and also to Australia, and Honolulu.
THE SAND DART (_Agrotis_ (_Lycophotia_) _ripæ_).
This species varies a good deal in the ground colour of the fore wings.
According to Barrett it ranges from pure white through pale reddish, rich
reddish (var. _desillii_, Pierret) reddish drab, yellowish drab, and
various shades of pale brown to brownish grey, and the markings to all
degrees of distinctness or obliteration, especially the latter. The two
specimens on Plate 106 have the markings fairly well defined (Fig. 1 is a
male, and Fig. 2 a female).
The caterpillar is ochreous grey, whitish tinged with pink, or greenish;
the lines and spots are greyish, and the spiracles large and black; head
and plate on first ring ochreous brown. It feeds on saltwort (_Salsola_),
sea rocket (_Cakile_), seablite (_Suæda_), sea holly (_Eryngium_), and
various other plants that flourish on sandy shores. It is usually full
grown in late autumn, when it goes down some depth into the sand, but does
not pupate until the spring. If the caterpillars are not full fed when
obtained they must be furnished with plenty of sand to burrow in, and kept
supplied with slices of carrot until it is seen that the last put in
remains untouched.
The moth flies in June and July, and may be found on the coasts of
Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent (Deal), Isle of Wight, Dorset,
Devon (Dawlish and Torquay), Somersetshire, South Wales, Cheshire,
Lancashire, and the Isle of Man. Rare in Scotland and in Ireland.
THE TRUE LOVER'S KNOT (_Agrotis_ (_Lycophotia_) _strigula_).
The white marked reddish moth (Plate 107, Fig. 1) frequents most of the
moorlands and heath and ling-clad heaths and {211} commons throughout the
British Isles. It varies in the tint of the reddish colour, and in the
greater and lesser prominence of the white markings. Specimens from
Scotland, especially from the Shetland Isles, are generally larger than
English examples, and are often clouded with darker tints. The caterpillar,
which is figured on Plate 109, Fig. 4, is reddish brown with a pale line
along the middle of the back edged with dark brown or blackish marks on
each side; a whitish or pinkish white stripe along the sides with a brown
edging above. Head ochreous brown, marked with darker. It feeds on heath
and heather, and hides by day in the moss or among dead leaves, etc., below
the food plant, August to May. The moth flies, sometimes by day, but
usually at night, in June, July, and in late seasons in August.
THE PORTLAND MOTH (_Agrotis_ (_Lycophotia_) _præcox_).
The pretty greenish moth with black cross lines, white spots, and
reddish-brown clouding on the outer area (Plate 107, Fig. 4), is said to
have been first reared in this country by the Duchess of Portland, early in
the nineteenth century, hence the English name. Although occasionally found
several miles from the sea, it is essentially a coast species, and may be
obtained on the sandhills of Dorsetshire, Devon, Suffolk, Norfolk,
Cheshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, and the Isle of Man. Odd specimens
occasionally occur inland, as for example at Kendal (1899), and in
Worcestershire (1901 and 1903). In Scotland it is found in suitable places
along the west coast, from the Firth of Clyde to Sutherland, and on the
east to Moray; and it is widely spread on the coasts of Ireland. The
caterpillar is slaty grey; central line on the back whitish or pale
greyish, expanding on each ring and so forming a series of connected spots,
edged with darker tint; then a whitish stripe, edged above by a slender
black line; a whitish or bluish grey stripe along the black spiracles. Head
pale {212} brown, obscurely marked with darker. It feeds from September to
June on dwarf sallow, grasses, chickweed, wormwood, etc. The moth flies in
August.
THE PEARLY UNDERWING (_Agrotis_ (_Lycophotia_) _saucia_).
Two specimens, both males, are represented on Plate 104. Fig. 10 is more or
less typical and Fig. 9 is referable to var. _margaritosa_, Haworth; both
occur together wherever the species is found, but the typical form is
generally the most frequent.
The caterpillar, which tapers slightly towards the head, is reddish grey or
brown above and paler on the sides; a line along the middle of the back is
yellowish and edged with dark brown dashes; the line along the greyish
ringed black spiracles is pale and edged above with black; a yellowish
blotch on the last ring and a black bar on ring eleven; head pale brown or
greyish brown marked with black. It feeds on most low plants; also on
cabbage and rape. It occurs in June and July, and in a second generation in
September, October, and sometimes November. From eggs laid in September the
caterpillar hatched in from five days to a fortnight and moths resulted
from these about six weeks later.
Although it certainly does occur in May and June sometimes, the moth is
very much more frequently seen in autumn. On the south coast, extending to
Cornwall and the Scilly Isles, the species is possibly a resident. In other
parts of the British Isles its occurrence is more or less casual, and,
although common in some years in other southern, and also eastern and
northern counties, it does not seem to be permanently established therein.
No doubt its more general distribution, and abundance here and there, in
certain years, is due to the arrival of immigrants, either in small numbers
in the spring, or in swarms later on in the year. {213}
The distribution abroad includes Central, Western, and Southern Europe;
Asia Minor; Northern Africa, Canaries, and Madeira; North America.
THE NORTHERN RUSTIC (_Agrotis_ (_Episilia_) _lucernea_).
The specimens of this locally variable species shown on Plate 107 are from
Scotland (Fig. 9 [male]), var. _renigera_, Stephens, and North Wales (Fig.
10 [female]). Barrett (_Brit. Lep._, vol. 3), discussing the variation,
remarks, "On the south coast of England, and especially at Portland, the
general tint is pale smoky grey, much darker towards the hind margin, and
with the markings moderately distinct; inland mountainous districts,
especially in North Wales, produce a still paler form; coast districts in
the west and north a decidedly darker; and in the far west, as in Kerry,
some specimens are actually slate-black, without more than the faintest
trace of markings. The Isle of Wight produces deep slate-coloured
specimens, darker than those from the Isle of Man, which are grey brown.
Shetland specimens are large and dark, even to glossy blue-black." The
caterpillar is dusky olive green, mottled all over with small black streaks
and dapplings; each segment of the body having a faintly indicated pale
olive-green spot on each subdorsal region, below which, on each side, is an
oblique shading of blackish green. Head shining black-brown, rather lighter
brown at the sides (Barrett). It feeds on harebell (_Campanula_), stonecrop
(_Sedum acre_), saxifrage, cowslip, chickweed, and grasses, from August to
May. The moth flies in July and August, and in the north and west in
September. It occurs in rough stony places, on rocky places on the coast,
and on hills inland, in Kent (Folkestone district), Isle of Wight, Dorset,
Devon, Cornwall, Gloucestershire (rare), Sussex, Shropshire, Wales,
Lancashire (rare), Yorkshire, and Westmoreland. It is widely distributed in
Scotland and Ireland. {214}
THE DOTTED RUSTIC (_Agrotis_ (_Episilia_) _simulans_).
The sexes of this local moth are figured on Plate 107. Fig. 7 represents a
male from Aberdeen, and Fig. 8 a female from Dorsetshire. The latter is of
a pale brown colour on the fore wings, and this is somewhat unusual, as the
prevailing colour of specimens from the Dorset coast is greyish brown.
The caterpillar is ochreous brown, dotted with brown, and marked with dark
brown, sometimes greenish tinged, on the back; a white stripe below the
spiracles; head brown and rather glossy. It feeds on grasses and low
plants, such as dock, dandelion, groundsel, etc. September to May. The moth
flies in July, August, and September. It occurs at various places on the
Dorsetshire coast; on the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire; in North Wales, and
the Isle of Man; also from Cheshire to Cumberland. Widely distributed in
Scotland, extending to the Hebrides and the Orkneys. In Ireland only
recorded from Sligo.
THE HEATH RUSTIC (_Agrotis_ (_Eueretagrotis_) _agathina_).
The moth, shown on Plate 107, varies in colour and in marking. Fig. 2
depicts a specimen from Perthshire, and Fig. 3 one from North Devonshire.
In Southern England the general tint is pinkish brown, and in the north and
in Scotland it is dark reddish brown or blackish. A pale greyish form from
Ireland has been named var. _hebridicola_, Staud. Sometimes specimens are
distinctly rosy in tint, and these are referable to var. _rosea_, Tutt. The
caterpillar (Plate 109, Fig. 2) is reddish brown, or green, with whitish
lines on the back, the central one edged on each sides with blackish, and
the others inwardly marked with black; a yellowish stripe low down along
the sides, sometimes marked with reddish; usual dots black; spiracles
white, dark ringed; head greenish yellow marked with darker in the green
form, and yellowish brown marked with darker in the brown form. It feeds
from September to June on heath and heather. The above brief description
was made from apparently full-grown caterpillars received from the New
Forest on May 28, 1907, but not one of them attained the chrysalis stage.
The moth is out in August and September, and occurs on most of the larger
heaths, and on moorlands throughout the British Isles, including the
Hebrides and Orkneys.
[Illustration]
Pl. 110.
1. ASHWORTH'S RUSTIC.
2, 3. NEGLECTED RUSTIC.
4. AUTUMNAL RUSTIC.
5. PLAIN CLAY.
6. DOUBLE DART.
7. FLAME SHOULDER.
8. SETACEOUS HEBREW CHARACTER.
9. TRIPLE-SPOTTED CLAY.
[Illustration]
Pl. 111.
1. FLAME SHOULDER: _caterpillar_.
2. TRIPLE-SPOTTED CLAY: _caterpillar_.
3. DOUBLE DART: _caterpillar_.
{215} THE STOUT DART (_Agrotis ravida_ (_obscura_)).
The somewhat dingy brown, or greyish brown moth (Plate 107, Figs. 5 [male],
6 [female]) is sometimes tinged with reddish, and this tint is generally
present on the front or costal area.
The caterpillar is ochreous brown with a paler line along the back, and a
series of dark edged, oblique and more or less curved, yellowish marks on
each side; head greyish freckled with brownish; plate on first ring brown
marked with pale lines. It feeds on low-growing plants such as dock,
dandelion, chickweed, etc.; September to May. The moth flies in July and
August, but its occurrence in Britain is somewhat irregular. It is found,
sometimes commonly, in most of the southern and eastern counties of
England, and also in Durham; and has been occasionally recorded from other
parts of the country, as well as from Scotland. For several years it may
seem to quite disappear and then suddenly become common in various
districts. Its range abroad extends to Amurland, North China, Corea, and
Japan.
THE NORTHERN DART (_Agrotis_ (_Episilia_) _hyperborea_).
Of this pretty Scottish species (_alpina_, Westw. and Humph.) four examples
are figured in Plate 108. Figs. 1 and 2 represent specimens from Shetland,
and Figs. 4 and 5 are from Rannoch specimens. These will show something of
the variation in this {216} moth, which was not known to occur in the
British Isles until 1839, when a single specimen was taken on Cairn Gowr in
Perthshire. No other example seems to have been noted up to 1854, when one
was found on a rock in the same part of Perthshire. Up to the year 1876,
only a few specimens had been obtained, but in that year, which was a hot
and dry one in the Highlands, quite a number were secured. A female was
also detected laying her yellowish white eggs on crowberry (_Empetrum
nigrum_) and thus gave a clue which led to the subsequent discovery of
caterpillars and chrysalids; and these have been obtained in some quantity.
The caterpillar is reddish, inclining to pinkish brown, freckled with
darker; three whitish lines on the back, the central one irregularly black
dotted, edged on both sides with black, and the others with black bars
along their inside edge; head pale brown freckled and lined with darker
brown. It feeds from August to June (of the second year following hatching
from the egg, it is said), on crowberry, bilberry (_Vaccinium_), and
bearberry (_Arctostaphylos uva-ursi_).
The moth is out from late June until about the middle of August. It only
occurs with us on the higher mountains in Perthshire, notably those to the
south of Loch Rannoch; and at lower elevations in Unst, the most northern
isle of the Shetland group. It has also been recorded from the Orkneys.
Kane mentions a specimen bred at the end of February, 1893, at Clonbrock,
Co. Galway, from a caterpillar found at a bog in the vicinity, where
crowberry grows abundantly. Abroad the species in its typical form is found
on mountains in Central and Southern Scandinavia, and in modified form in
Silesia, Hungary, and Switzerland.
ASHWORTH'S RUSTIC (_Agrotis_ (_Episilia_) _ashworthii_).
This moth, which is figured in Plate 110, is considered by some
entomologists to be a form of _A. candelarum_ peculiar {217} to the hills
and mountains of North Wales, and found chiefly at Llangollen, Penmaenmawr,
and Snowdon. The colour of the fore wings varies from pale dove colour to
dark slaty grey. The caterpillar is blackish, or dark slate colour, with
two series of velvety black spots, or dashes along the back; head reddish
brown. It feeds on various low-growing plants, among which are rock-rose,
wild thyme, sheep's sorrel, bedstraw, etc. Towards the end of April, in
Flint, they feed freely and crawl about their food plants in the day time
as well as at night (E. W. H. Blagg). The moth has been reared in November
and December from eggs found in July, about the second week; the
caterpillars having been supplied mainly with sallow, with the addition of
dock, groundsel, plantain, and knot grass (R. Tait). On another occasion
moths were bred in October from eggs laid by a female reared from
caterpillars taken in North Wales in the spring (A. Harrison). The moth is
out in July and August and in its rugged haunts, may be disturbed from
among the loose rubble, and from chinks in the rocks; but as they come
freely to sugared herbage, captives in this way would probably be more
numerous. Discovered at Llangollen in 1853, by Mr. Joseph Ashworth after
whom it was named by Doubleday in 1855.
NOTE.--Barrett mentions the following Agrotids as having occurred in the
British Isles.
_A. crassa_, Hübn., "one specimen in the cabinet of Mr. S. Stevens." _A.
spinifera_, Hübn., a specimen taken in the Isle of Man, August, 1869. _A.
fennica_, Tauscher, a specimen recorded in the _Zoologist_ for 1850, as
captured in Derbyshire.
THE ROSY MARSH MOTH (_Noctua_ (_Coenophila_) _subrosea_).
The last two moths were respectively productions of Scotland and Wales; the
present one is exclusively English, at least it was, because now and for
perhaps the last fifty years it has been extinct in its old fenny haunts at
Whittlesea, in Cambridgeshire, {218} and Yaxley, Huntingdonshire. In the
latter fen it was first noted by Weaver about the year 1837. In 1846 and
onwards it was plentiful, and the caterpillars were common. All was well
with the species until about 1851 when the fens were drained, and the moth
then ceased to appear. (Plate 108, Fig. 3.) In Sweden, Southern Russia, and
in Amurland the species is represented by a bluish form, var.
_subcoerulea_, Staud.
THE DOUBLE DART (_Noctua_ (_Exarnis_) _augur_).
The dull brownish moth (Plate 110, Fig. 6), is generally distributed
throughout the British Isles, including the Orkneys. The fore wings of
southern specimens are usually suffused with reddish, but this is less
obvious in northern examples. The markings are sometimes bold and striking
or, on the other hand, only faintly defined, or largely absent. A
pinkish-tinged brown form without markings was formerly confused with the
Continental _A. helvetina_. The moth is on the wing in June and July,
sometimes in August, especially in the north; and the caterpillar is to be
found from July to May. When young it feeds on various low-growing plants,
but later it crawls up at night to devour the leaves of hawthorn, sloe,
sallow, birch, etc. It is brownish, tinged with pink, and marked on the
back with a series of V-shaped dashes, and white points; on ring eleven
there is a yellowish-edged black mark; above the white spiracles is a
black-edged red-brown stripe. Head pale brown, freckled with darker brown.
THE AUTUMNAL RUSTIC (_Noctua glareosa_).
In its typical form as depicted on Plate 110, Fig. 4, this species is slaty
grey with black markings. In Devonshire and other parts of the west of
England, and also in Ireland, it assumes a decided pinkish tinge (var.
_rosea_, Tutt). Through Scotland the colour becomes darker grey, and in
Perthshire it merges into blackish grey. In the Shetlands a blackish, or
sooty-brown form (var. _edda_, Staud.), occurs.
[Illustration]
Pl. 112.
1. INGRAILED CLAY: _caterpillar_.
2. PURPLE CLAY: _caterpillar_.
3, 3a. SQUARE-SPOT RUSTIC: _caterpillar_.
[Illustration]
Pl. 113.
1. DOUBLE SQUARE-SPOT.
2. SQUARE-SPOTTED CLAY.
3, 4. PURPLE CLAY.
5, 6, 7. INGRAILED CLAY.
8, 9. INGRAILED CLAY, _var. conflua_.
10, 11. INGRAILED CLAY, _var. thulei_.
{219} The caterpillar feeds on grasses and various low plants, also on
ling, heath, sallow, and has been found on wild hyacinth. It is
yellowish-brown with dark shaded pale lines on the back, and a dark brown
stripe on the sides; spiracles and dots blackish. October to June. The moth
flies in August and September, and affects heathy places, borders of woods,
etc., throughout the British Isles, including the Hebrides, Orkneys, and
Shetlands. Except in the New Forest, Hampshire, it does not seem to be
common in the southern counties of England; it occurs in Epping Forest, and
in other parts of the eastern counties; northwards it becomes more
generally distributed and more plentiful.
THE NEGLECTED, OR GREY RUSTIC (_Noctua castanea_).
The reddish typical form of this species is shown on Plate 110, Fig. 3.
Fig. 2 represents the greyish form, var. _neglecta_, which is most
frequently met with in southern England. Between these extremes
intermediate forms occur connecting one with the other. Specimens of a pale
ochreous colour have been obtained in the vicinity of Market Drayton,
Shropshire. The caterpillar, which feeds on heather and sallow at night, is
pale reddish-brown, finely powdered with greyish; below the pale ochreous
stripe on the sides, the ground colour is greenish; head marked with darker
brown. September to May. The moth flies in August, and occurs on the larger
tracts of heathery ground throughout the British Isles, but it is commoner
in some parts than in others, and appears to be scarce in Ireland. The red
form, and intermediates, occasionally occur in the New Forest, and also in
other parts of Southern England, but in Scotland it is not uncommon. The
distribution abroad is, like that of the last species, pretty much confined
to Western Europe. {220}
THE DOTTED CLAY (_Noctua baja_).
This species, a male and female of which are shown on Plate 114, Figs. 7
[male] and 8 [female] is common in wooded districts throughout the British
Isles, except the Orkneys and the Shetlands. The colour of the fore wings
ranges from pale greyish brown, or reddish grey, to reddish brown or
purplish brown. Sometimes the first and second cross lines are bordered, or
represented, by pale bands.
The caterpillar is dingy ochreous brown, or reddish brown; three yellowish
lines along the back, the central one edged with blackish; the others have
blackish bordered yellow triangular marks between them, on each ring from
three to eleven; spiracles and dots black; head pale brown, shining. It
feeds in the autumn on various low plants, and in the spring on hawthorn,
sloe, sallow, bramble, etc. September to May. The moth flies in July and
August. Its range abroad extends to Amurland and to North America.
THE PLAIN CLAY (_Noctua depuncta_).
This species is represented on Plate 110, Fig. 5, by a female specimen.
Sometimes the fore wings are more reddish brown in colour, and the markings
are occasionally bolder. The caterpillar is pale or dark reddish brown
above, and rather greyish below; the back is marked with dark outlined
diamonds, and the dark edged white spiracles have a dark shade above them,
and an ochreous stripe below; head pale brown marked with darker. Feeds on
primrose, dock, sorrel, nettle, etc. from September to May. The moth flies
in July, August, and the early part of September. It seems to be more
frequently and regularly obtained in Scotland, especially in the woods of
Perthshire, Aberdeen and Moray. In England the species is, or has been,
found in Oxfordshire (rare in beech woods), {221} Berkshire, Wiltshire
(Savernake Forest), Devonshire (Dartmoor), South Wales (near Swansea),
North Wales (Mold), Cheshire (one specimen, Staley-brushes), Yorkshire
(Scarborough), Durham (one at Bishop Auckland), Cumberland (Barrow Wood).
The range abroad includes Central Europe (except Holland and Belgium),
Southern Sweden, Lavonia, and South-east Russia, Armenia, and Northern Asia
Minor. It may be noted that Stephens, writing in 1829, considered this to
be a doubtful British species.
THE SETACEOUS HEBREW CHARACTER (_Noctua c-nigrum_).
A male specimen of this often common and generally distributed species is
shown on Plate 110, Fig. 8. The fore wings vary in colour, from pale
reddish grey through bright reddish or pinkish brown to purplish brown; the
costal mark may be whitish, ochreous, or pinkish tinged. The moth is most
frequently obtained in the autumn, but it is sometimes met with from May to
July.
The caterpillar is pale brownish or greenish grey, with two series of black
streaks, and a dark-edged pale central line, on the back; below the black
outlined white spiracles is a black-edged yellow ochreous, or whitish
stripe; head ochreous brown streaked with darker brown. It feeds on dock,
chickweed, groundsel, and other low plants. It is said to feed from
September to April or May. Possibly, however, in favourable seasons, some
may pupate either in the autumn or in the early months of the year, and so
attain the moth state greatly in advance of the majority. The range of this
species' distribution extends to India, Corea, Japan, and North America.
THE BLACK COLLAR (_Noctua flammatra_).
Fore wings pale greyish brown, with dark-edged pale cross lines; a pale
whitish brown pink-tinged streak along the front {222} margin to the second
line; below this is a short black dot; the reniform and orbicular marks are
pale, the centre sometimes darker, and the claviform has a dark edge but is
not distinct; the front of the thorax is broadly marked with black, hence
the English name.
Only three British examples seem to be known; two of these were captured in
the Isle of Wight, 1859 and 1876, and the third occurred in the lighthouse
at Cromer in 1875. The range abroad is Central and Southern Europe, Western
and Central Asia and India.
THE TRIPLE-SPOTTED CLAY (_Noctua ditrapezium_).
The ground colour of the fore wings of this moth ranges from pinkish brown
through pale reddish brown to a purplish grey brown. The specimen shown on
Plate 110, Fig. 9 [male] is of the pinkish brown form from Tilgate Forest
in Sussex. In a series bred from caterpillars obtained at Hampstead,
North-west London, the bulk of the males are pale reddish brown, and the
females purplish brown; one male, however, is as dark as the females.
Caterpillar, purplish brown, mottled above with dark brown; a thin white
line, interrupted with black, along the middle of the back, and a row of
black marks on each side; on the sides are oblique blackish marks, with the
white spiracles showing distinct at their lower ends. Head pale shining
brown, the cheeks marked with darker brown. Feeds on dandelion, dock,
chickweed, primrose, and other low plants; also on bramble and sallow, and
in the spring on the young leaves of birch. September to May (Plate 111,
Fig. 2).
The moth flies, in and around woods, in July. It is local and not always
common, but has been found in the north-west and south-west districts of
London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, Dorsetshire, Devon, Wales (Swansea
and Barmouth), and Norfolk (Cromer). It occurs in Scotland (Perthshire),
and {223} two specimens have been recorded from Ireland. Its range extends
to Siberia and Amurland.
THE DOUBLE SQUARE-SPOT (_Noctua triangulum_).
This species (Plate 113, Fig. 1) is usually pale brown, more or less tinged
with reddish, but some specimens are of a rather darker hue, and others
inclined to greyish. The conspicuous marks in the discal cell, usually
black or blackish, are sometimes pale or dark reddish brown. The moth flies
in June and July, and occurs in woods or well-timbered districts throughout
England (except in Somerset, Dorset, and westward), Wales, Scotland
(mainland), and Ireland.
THE SQUARE-SPOTTED CLAY (_Noctua stigmatica_).
As will be seen from its portrait (Plate 113, Fig. 2), this moth, although
darker in colour, is marked somewhat similarly to the last referred to. It
should be noted, however, that the basal line is less distinct; the
submarginal line is inwardly shaded with blackish, and there is no blackish
spot at its costal extremity. The fore wings are sometimes pale reddish
brown, and sometimes almost blackish.
The caterpillar, which is ochreous, or brownish, is somewhat similar in
marking to that of _A. ditrapezium_, and feeds on dandelion, dock,
chickweed, plantain, sallow, etc. In confinement it is said to eat sliced
carrot or potato, and, if kept warm, may be induced to feed up and attain
the moth state early in the year.
The moth flies in July and August and seems to be partial to woods. It is
very local, but occurs not uncommonly in the New Forest, Hampshire, and in
Oxfordshire and Berkshire beech woods; also found in Buckinghamshire, the
Eastern Counties, Kent, Sussex, Dorsetshire, Devon, Lancashire (once),
Yorkshire (very local), and North Wales (once). In Scotland {224} it
appears to be more widely spread, but has not been noted in Ireland.
THE PURPLE CLAY (_Noctua brunnea_).
The fore wings of this moth (Plate 113, Figs. 3, 4) range in colour from
purplish brown to reddish brown, or pale reddish brown; some of the darker
forms are suffused with greyish, and the central area is occasionally
ochreous tinged. There is also variation in the markings, especially the
reniform stigma which is usually more or less filled in with ochreous or
whitish tint, but not infrequently it is merely outlined in one of these
colours, and the centre is then dark grey brown, sometimes enclosing a
whitish or ochreous crescent. These remarks are of general application, but
refer to a long series I obtained in North Devon.
The caterpillar (Plate 112, Fig. 2) is reddish brown with a yellowish tinge
and with black dots and ochreous markings. It feeds on bilberry, wood-rush
(_Luzula_), various low plants, bramble, sallow, and in the spring it
attacks the buds and young leaves of the birch saplings, etc. August to
May. The moth flies in June and July, and is often common in woods over
almost the whole of the British Isles, including the Hebrides and the
Orkneys. The range abroad extends to Amurland.
THE INGRAILED CLAY (_Noctua primulæ_).
This species, long known as _festiva_, but for which Esper's earlier name
_primulæ_ will have to be adopted, is exceedingly variable. Specimens of
the more or less typical form and also of the forms known as _conflua_ and
_thulei_ are portrayed on Plate 113. The fore wings range in colour from
pale ochreous to chestnut brown, and from grey to smoky grey brown. The
cross lines are distinct in some specimens, but in others are hardly
visible; the discal cell is often no darker than the {225} general colour,
but sometimes there is a reddish square spot in place of the usual black
one; the reniform and orbicular marks may be only faintly outlined, and the
latter sometimes cannot be traced; the brownish band-like shade between the
outer and submarginal lines is frequently only indicated by a short dash
from the front margin, and even this is occasionally absent.
The smaller moorland and mountain form, var. _conflua_, Treitschke, and in
the vulgar tongue The Lesser Ingrailed, varies on somewhat similar lines.
(Plate 113, Figs. 8, 9.) Var. _thulei_, Staudinger, also varies greatly in
colour and in marking. Some specimens are dark reddish brown, or
occasionally smoky brown; others are pale reddish brown, grey brown,
reddish grey, or grey; the pale cross lines are generally distinct, in the
darker specimens especially. This form, which is peculiar to the Shetland
Isles, is shown on Plate 113, Figs. 10, 11. In the foregoing remarks
reference has been made only to the general trend of variation; many other
forms of aberration in this species might be mentioned if space permitted.
The caterpillar is pale or dark reddish or olive brown inclining to pinkish
between the rings; the lines are yellowish, the central paler edged with
brown, and the outer ones edged with blackish marks; oblique darker dashes
on the sides; spiracles black, ochreous ringed, with a pale stripe below
them; head pale brown marked with darker. It feeds on primrose, bilberry,
dock, sallow, hawthorn, bramble, etc. August to May. (Plate 112, Fig. 1.)
The moth flies in June, but specimens of a second generation have been
obtained, in confinement, from August to October. The species in one form
or another occurs in woods, on moorlands, etc., over the whole of the
British Isles.
THE BARRED CHESTNUT (_Noctua dahlii_).
The sexes of this species are depicted on Plate 114. It will be noted that
the female (Fig. 2) is darker in colour than the {226} male (Fig. 1). The
sexual colour difference holds good generally, but there are exceptions and
the male may sometimes be dark, like the female; or the latter sex may
occasionally assume a reddish coloration. As a rule the reniform mark is
most distinct in the female. A form occurring in Ireland with the fore
wings dark sepia colour and the reniform mark clear whitish has been named
var. _perfusca_, Kane. The caterpillar varies in the colour of the back
through various shades of ochreous and brown to dark reddish brown, and
this is always in strong contrast with the colour of the lower parts; the
lines are pale, and the outer ones on the back are edged with black dashes;
spots and spiracles black; head pale brown. It feeds on dock, plantain,
etc., and in the spring on young sallow leaves. In confinement will become
full grown before Christmas, but normally it feeds from September to May.
The moth is out in late July and in August. It is found on heaths,
moorlands, and in woods; it is not uncommon in some parts of the Midlands,
and is found in Cheshire and northwards to Cumberland. It also occurs in
Herefordshire, Pembrokeshire; in the south and east of England it is not
frequent, but has been taken in South Oxfordshire, Berkshire (Newbury),
Suffolk, Hants (Winchester and New Forest), etc. Widely distributed in
Scotland, and locally abundant in Ireland. The distribution abroad extends
to Amurland and Japan.
THE SMALL SQUARE SPOT (_Noctua rubi_).
There are two generations of this species. The first is on the wing in
June, and the second in August, September, and sometimes even in October.
An example of each brood is shown on Plate 114, Fig. 3, 1st gen., Fig. 4,
2nd gen. The early moths are larger in size than the later ones, but are
fewer in number. Moths of the second generation often abound at the sugar
patches, and on ragwort blossom. The colour of {227} the fore wings varies
from pale to dark reddish brown in both broods.
The caterpillar is greyish ochreous or brown, with dark-edged paler lines,
and the brown head is marked with darker. It feeds on dandelion, dock,
grass, etc. Those of the first generation feed from autumn to spring, and
those of the second during the summer. The moth is found in almost every
part of the British Isles, except, perhaps, the Hebrides and Shetlands.
THE SIX-STRIPED RUSTIC (_Noctua umbrosa_).
This species (Plate 114, Fig. 5), is also generally distributed over our
islands as far north as Moray, but it is rather partial to marshy
situations. The caterpillar, which feeds from August to May on dock,
plantain, bramble, bedstraw, etc., is pale ochreous or brownish, freckled
with darker, and with dark-edged, pale ochreous lines on the back, the
outer ones with a series of black wedges along them; a dark brown stripe
low down along the sides; head pale brown marked with darker. The moth
flies in July and August. It seems to prefer the flowers of the ragwort and
the honey-dew on foliage to sugar, but the latter has attractions for it
nevertheless.
COUSIN GERMAN (_Noctua_ (_Mythimna_) _sobrina_).
On Plate 114, Fig. 6, is a portrait of this greyish suffused purple-brown
species, which in the British Isles is seemingly confined to certain
localities in Perthshire and Aberdeen, and was first met with in the former
county by Weaver in 1853. According to Barrett it is found chiefly in
mountain districts from 700 feet above sea-level upwards.
The caterpillar is reddish or red brown, slightly mottled with grey; the
marking on the back almost linear, widening a little, but narrowly
lozenge-shaped near the end of each ring, and {228} having on the widest
part a round pale spot of dirty ochreous; sides much mottled with grey;
dots and spiracles black, and under the latter a pale pinkish, ochreous,
brown stripe; head shining brownish ochreous, with two black dots in front
of each lobe. (Adapted from Buckler.) It feeds on heather, bilberry, birch,
grass, etc. September to June. The moth flies in July and August.
THE SQUARE-SPOT RUSTIC (_Noctua_ (_Segetia_) _xanthographa_).
Four examples of this very common and most variable species are shown on
Plate 114, Figs. 9-12. The colour of the fore wings ranges from whity
brown, or drab, through various shades of grey-brown and red-brown to
blackish. The more or less square reniform, and the orbicular, marks are
subject to a good deal of modification; in some specimens they are whitish
or ochreous and very conspicuous, and in others exceedingly faint or
entirely missing; or the reniform may be well defined and prominent, and
the orbicular absent; the cross lines are frequently obscure, except the
dark-edged, pale submarginal, and this, too, may be wanting; occasionally
there is a blackish shade between the stigmata and extending from the front
to inner margins. The hind wings of the males are whitish, with a dark
marginal border of variable width, but rarely, so far as I have noted,
entirely absent; those of the females are uniformly darker.
The full-grown caterpillar (Plate 112, Fig. 3) is hardly separable from
that of _N. umbrosa_, and feeds at the same date on low-growing plants,
etc. The moth flies in August and early September. It is generally
distributed throughout the British Isles, and is abundant pretty well
everywhere.
THE FLAME SHOULDER (_Noctua_ (_Ochropleura_) _plecta_).
This moth (Plate 110, Fig. 7) is also common, and generally distributed
throughout England, Ireland, Scotland (mainland), and Wales. The fore wings
are usually purplish brown, but sometimes they are palish red brown; the
creamy stripe on the front margin is more or less sprinkled with scales of
the ground colour, occasionally so thickly that these marks appear reddish
in tint; there is often a pale, wavy submarginal line, and in some
specimens a dusky second line can be detected; not infrequently there are
traces of the claviform mark, but I do not remember ever seeing any
indication of a first line. The hind wings are white, and frequently the
fringes are pale pinky brown.
[Illustration]
Pl. 114.
1, 2. BARRED CHESTNUT.
3, 4. SMALL SQUARE-SPOT.
5. SIX-STRIPED RUSTIC.
6. COUSIN GERMAN.
7, 8. DOTTED CLAY.
9, 10, 11, 12. SQUARE SPOT RUSTIC.
[Illustration]
Pl. 115.
1, 2. LUNAR YELLOW UNDERWING.
4, 5, 7, 8. LESSER YELLOW UNDERWING.
3, 6. LARGE YELLOW UNDERWING.
{229} The caterpillar is brownish, varying from ochreous to reddish,
freckled with darker; the broken lines on the back are pale, with dark
edges, and there is a brown freckled, pale ochreous stripe along the sides;
the usual spots are black, and the spiracles whitish, edged with brownish;
head brown marked with darker. It feeds on various low plants, and also on
lettuce, beet, etc., in gardens; there are certainly two broods in most
years, one in the summer and the other in the autumn. The moth is out in
May and June, and again in August and September. Specimens have also been
taken in July, and occasionally in April. The species has a very extensive
range abroad, extending to India, Corea, Japan, and North America.
THE FLAME (_Axylia putris_).
This species, which is depicted on Plate 132, Fig. 13, is pretty constant
in its pale coloration and darker markings. It is often common, and is
widely spread throughout England, Wales, Ireland, and in Scotland up to
Ross.
The caterpillar is greyish brown, mottled and dusted with blackish, chiefly
so on the sides; the central line is darker but indistinct, and there is a
yellow spot on each ring; a whitish line on each side of the central one is
edged above with curved black dashes, and these are most distinct on rings
four to ten; {230} the eleventh ring is edged behind with ochreous; head
dark brown; spiracles and raised dots blackish. (Adapted from Fenn.) It
feeds on hedge bedstraw (_Galium mollugo_), dock, plantain, nettle, and
many other low plants; also on lettuce. July to October. Generally the
winter is passed in the chrysalis stage, and the moth comes out in the
following June or July. Sometimes the moth has emerged in September.
THE LESSER YELLOW UNDERWING (_Triphæna_ (_Agrotis_) _comes_ = _orbona_).
This very variable species, of which the typical forms and two varieties
are represented on Plate 115, is to be found, often abundantly, almost
everywhere in the British Isles, except the Shetlands.
Apart from a form peculiar to Scotland, which will be separately referred
to, the colour range of the fore wings is from pale ochreous-brown to a
deep brown; in all shades there may be a tinge of reddish, or a suffusion
of greyish. In Ireland and Scotland, and less frequently in England, a
distinctly red form occurs. (Plate 115, Fig. 7.) Then there is variation in
the markings, and more particularly in the reniform and orbicular marks;
both stigmata are, perhaps, rarely absent, but they are frequently very
faint, and of the orbicular there is often not a trace. On the other hand,
both may be filled up with dark brown, or blackish, and very conspicuous.
The cross lines, and more especially the shaded submarginal, are usually
pretty much in evidence, but these are apt to disappear entirely. The
yellow hind wings are occasionally smudged with blackish towards the base;
the central crescents vary in size, and somewhat in shape, and although
sometimes greatly reduced, they are only rarely quite missing; the black
band before the outer margin is also subject to modification in width and
the regularity of its edges. {231}
Var. _curtisii_, Newman, was discovered in the Isle of Bute by Curtis in
1825, but until 1871, when Newman gave it the name it now bears, it had
been known as _consequa_, the name assigned to it by Curtis when figured by
him in 1831. The form is generally rather smaller than the type; the fore
wings are rich reddish brown, clouded to a greater or lesser extent with
blackish, and sometimes entirely suffused with that colour. The yellow
ground of the hind wings is rarely quite free of black scales, but in some
specimens they are so thick that the yellow is hidden. A specimen of this
form is shown on Plate 115, Fig. 8. It is found in the Orkneys,
Sutherlandshire, Elgin, Inverness, Aberdeenshire; also in the Hebrides, and
in the Isles of Bute and Arran.
The caterpillar (Plate 118, Fig. 2), is greenish ochreous varying to
greenish brown; three yellowish lines on the back, the central edged with
blackish and the others with dark oblong marks; spiracles white, edged with
blackish, and below them an ochreous stripe; head grey brown marked with
darker. It feeds on grass and most low plants from September to April. The
moth is out in July and August.
Abroad it occurs chiefly in Central and Southern Europe, but its range
extends to Southern Scandinavia and eastward to Asia Minor and Armenia.
THE LUNAR YELLOW UNDERWING (_Triphæna_ (_Agrotis_) _orbona_ = _subsequa_).
Two specimens of this species are shown on Plate 115. Fig. 1 represents a
specimen from Forres, in Scotland, and Fig. 2 an example from the New
Forest, Hants.
Although there is some variation in the colour of the fore wings (which
ranges from pale greyish brown to dark reddish brown), and also in the
intensity and clearness of the markings, this species is far less aberrant
than that last referred to, and {232} from which it is at once separated by
the black mark on the front margin, placed on the inner edge of the
submarginal line. The caterpillar is distinguished from that of _comes_ by
the black-edged broader ochreous central line, and a series of black oblong
spots on each side of it; the stripe under the spiracles is broad, and
ochreous. It feeds from September to April on grasses and various low
plants. The moth flies in July and August. The species is widely
distributed in Scotland, and occurs in Unst, the most northern of the
Shetland Isles. In England it occurs, or has been found, in Durham,
Yorkshire, Worcestershire (Malvern), Herefordshire, Gloucestershire,
Oxfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk (not uncommon in the "Breck" district),
Surrey, Sussex, Wilts, Hants (rather commonly in the New Forest), and the
Isle of Wight. For Wales, Barrett states that it is rare in Pembrokeshire;
and Kane mentions Co. Galway (four specimens), Killarney, and Lisbellaw for
Ireland. The range abroad is somewhat similar to that of _comes_, but it
extends further north in Scandinavia.
THE LARGE YELLOW UNDERWING (_Triphæna_ (_Agrotis_) _pronuba_).
The colour of the fore wings of this common, and often abundant, species
ranges through various shades of brown to dark purplish. In the typical
form (Plate 115, Fig. 3), the wings are of the paler shades, mottled with
darker, and the thorax, except the pale front, agrees in colour with the
darker mottling of the wings. Fig. 6 shows the plain form (var. _innuba_,
Treitschke), and it is in this form that the darkest colours appear; the
thorax is always of the wing colour, and without the pale front. The black
mark at upper end of the submarginal line is rarely absent, but I have a
pale reddish-brown example of the _innuba_ form without the mark. In the
black-bordered yellow hind wings a central crescent is very {233}
exceptional, but specimens in which it is more or less evident are not
unknown.
The eggs figured on Plate 118 were found in August, 1906, on a leaf of
gladiolus in the garden. When first noticed they were of a pale
creamy-white colour, but two days afterwards the upper half of the batch
became purplish grey, and the caterpillars hatched out the following
morning, when the other half had also changed colour, and the larvæ hatched
next day.
The caterpillar (Plate 118, Fig. 1), is obscure brownish, sometimes
ochreous or green tinged; with ochreous lines on the back, the outer ones
edged with blackish bars on rings four to eleven; head pale brown marked
with darker. It feeds from August to May on grasses and low plants, and is
often a pest in the flower or vegetable garden. When eggs are obtained
early, the caterpillars from them will sometimes attain the moth state in
the same year. The moth flies in June and July, and has occurred in April,
September, and October.
THE BROAD-BORDERED YELLOW UNDERWING (_Triphæna fimbria_).
This is another species with variable coloured fore wings, and four
examples of it are shown on Plate 116. Pale ochreous brown and greyish
brown is the most frequent colour, but various shades of greenish or olive
brown are not uncommon. A dark reddish-brown form, known to collectors as
the "mahogany form," seems to be somewhat rare. In the majority of
specimens the basal third, and more or less of the central area adjacent to
the second line seems to be the darkest coloured; but occasionally these
parts are pretty much of the same tint as the rest of the wings.
The caterpillar (Plate 118, Fig. 4) is of a soft ochreous brown, sometimes
red tinted, minutely dotted with blackish; the central line on the back is
pale, and on each side are darkly-edged pale {234} oblique streaks; the
white spiracles are followed by blackish marks; head brown freckled with
darker. It feeds in the autumn on primrose, violet, dock, etc., and in the
spring it seems to prefer the buds and young leaves of birch, sallow,
bramble, hawthorn, sloe, chestnut, etc. The chrysalis, which also is
figured, is dark reddish-brown, with two short anal spikes.
This species occurs in June and July, and frequents woodland localities
throughout England, Ireland, Scotland (up to Moray), and Wales.
THE LESSER BROAD-BORDER (_Triphæna ianthina_).
Fore wings violet or purplish grey with blackish cross bands and brownish
suffusion, the latter more especially on the basal area; reniform and
orbicular stigma outlined in whitish. (Plate 116, Fig. 3.) In another form
the bands and suffusion are reddish-brown. The black clouding on basal area
of hind wings sometimes extends further towards the marginal band. The
caterpillar (Plate 118, Fig. 3) is of a greenish tinged ochreous brown
colour, with a pale central line and series of dusky dashes along the back,
these dashes becoming blackish on the hind rings; the white spiracles are
set in a blackish mark, and under them is a pale ochreous stripe. It feeds
in the autumn on primrose, bramble, dock, etc., and in the spring on the
young growth of sallow, elm, hawthorn, etc. The moth flies in July and
August, frequenting lanes, hedgerows, and woods. It is pretty generally
distributed throughout England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland as far north
as Moray.
THE LEAST YELLOW UNDERWING (_Triphæna interjecta_).
Fore wings, dull reddish brown with darker cross lines and shades, often
faint. On the inner margin of the yellow hind wings, two dusky shades run
from the border to the base; these {235} are not infrequently as black as
the border, which is often broader than in the specimen shown on Plate 116
(Fig. 4). The caterpillar is ochreous brown dotted with black; on the
middle of the back is a brown stripe enclosing a whitish central line. A
brown stripe along the sides is edged above with whitish; the head is pale
ochreous brown lined with darker. Stated by Barrett to feed on grasses and
low plants, or, in the spring, on young shoots of sallow; said also to eat
primrose and dock. September to May. The moth is out in July and August,
and affects lanes and hedgerows. I have found it more frequently on flowers
of ragwort, and on "honey-dew," than on the sugar patch; but have met with
it occasionally darting along some particular bit of hedgerow, in the late
afternoon. Although apparently uncommon in the Midlands, it occurs more or
less freely throughout England to Durham. In Ireland it has been found in
counties Dublin, Wicklow, Waterford, Cork, Louth, Westmeath, Galway (Kane),
and, Barrett adds, Antrim.
THE GREEN ARCHES (_Eurois prasina_).
This moth is shown on Plate 117. When quite fresh the ground colour of the
fore wings is a beautiful green, but this often fades after a time, and the
wings then assume an ochreous hue. The cross lines are black relieved with
whitish, and there is a whitish blotch on the second line touching the
outer edges of the reniform stigma. The green colour varies in tint even
when the insects are alive; and the black markings differ in intensity,
being much stronger in some specimens than in others. The caterpillar is
greyish brown, more or less tinged with violet; there are three fine
whitish lines, and a series of blackish diamond-shaped marks on the back;
the spiracles are white, and there is an ochreous stripe below them. It
feeds on dock and other low plants, bramble, and in the spring on sallow
shoots and the young growth of bilberry. July to April, or May. {236} The
moth, which frequents woods; flies in June, but has been reared, as a
second generation, late in the year. The species seems to be pretty
generally distributed over England and Ireland, and is often common,
especially in the south and east of the former country. From the Midlands
northwards it appears to be less common, and its range more restricted. In
Scotland it has been recorded from Roxburghshire (common at sugar in 1898),
the Clyde district, and, Barrett adds, Perthshire.
THE GREAT BROCADE (_Eurois occulta_).
On Plate 117, Fig. 3 represents the typical grey form of this species, and
Fig. 4 the black var. _passetii_, Thierry-Mieg. Intermediates occur
connecting the melanic form with the type, and sometimes specimens are
found of a paler hue than the type. Bred specimens occasionally have a rosy
tinge, and this is then usually most in evidence between the first and
second cross lines. The caterpillar is brown, with three ochreous lines on
the back, the outer with dark oblique dashes on each ring; a whitish stripe
along the spiracles is blotched with reddish, and edged above with black.
It feeds in the autumn on dock, plantain, primrose, dandelion, etc., and in
the spring on bramble, bilberry, sallow, heather, and birch, among other
things. Usually it hibernates when small, but when kept indoors, and fairly
warm, it can be induced to complete growth, and attain the moth state in
October or later, sometimes even earlier. In the open the moth flies from
the end of June to August.
Scotland appears to be the British home of the species, and it is found in
most woods throughout that country, including the isles, but it is rare in
the Shetlands. It occurs in Durham (rare), and in Yorkshire was not
uncommon at Everingham in 1897, and several were obtained at Middlesbrough
in 1900. Further south its occurrence is even more casual, and the most
recent captures I have any note of are, two specimens in Lincolnshire,
August, 1896, and one each in Norfolk and North East London, August, 1900.
Also recorded from Essex. Only two specimens are known from Ireland.
The range abroad extends to Amurland, Corea, and to North America.
[Illustration]
Pl. 116.
1, 2, 5, 6. BROAD-BORDERED YELLOW UNDERWING.
3. LESSER BROAD-BORDERED YELLOW UNDERWING.
4. LEAST YELLOW UNDERWING.
[Illustration]
Pl. 117.
1, 2. GREEN ARCHES.
3, 4. GREAT BROCADE.
5. SILVERY ARCHES.
6. PALE SHINING BROWN.
{237} THE SILVERY ARCHES (_Aplecta_ (_Mamestra_) _tincta_).
The moth represented on Plate 117, Fig. 5, has the fore wings silvery grey
clouded with brownish on the central area; or occasionally spreading over a
larger portion of the wings, and sometimes purplish in tint. The
caterpillar is brownish inclining to reddish, clouded on the back with
paler and darker brown. The central line, which has a broken blackish
edging, is only distinct on the front rings. Spiracles black; head pale
brown marked with darker brown. In the autumn it feeds on low plants such
as dock, plantain, etc.; but in the spring it is found at night on the
young growth of birch and sallow bushes, and more rarely on hawthorn, and I
believe, on bilberry. The moth which occurs in birch woods in June and
July, is not uncommon in the south of England from Essex to Hampshire, and
has been found in Dorset and Devonshire. It has also been obtained more or
less frequently in Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire (once),
Huntingdon, Worcestershire (Wyre Forest and Malvern), Staffordshire
(north), Lancashire (Witherslack), Yorkshire (Huddersfield, once), and
Westmoreland. In Scotland it ranges on the west from Ayr to Argyllshire,
but although local is more frequent in Perthshire, Moray, and Sutherland.
Var. _obscurata_, Staud., is a form of this species occurring in Amurland
and Southern Siberia.
THE PALE SHINING BROWN (_Aplecta_ (_Mamestra_) _advena_).
This moth (Plate 117, Fig. 6) is pale reddish brown and glossy, especially
on the outer area, on the fore wings. The caterpillar {238} is pale
ochreous brown above, and inclining to greenish below; three dark-edged
pale lines, and a series of dark diamond-shaped marks on the back. The
usual dots are whitish encircled with blackish, and the blackish edged
spiracles are reddish brown; head olive brown, and plate on first ring
blackish with the three lines showing distinct. From July to September it
feeds on various low plants, including rest-harrow, dandelion, and
knotgrass, also on broom, bilberry (Barrett); and Newman mentions
sowthistle (_Sonchus_) and lettuce. In confinement the moth sometimes
emerges in the autumn, but in the open it flies in June and July. Flowers
seem to have more attraction for it than sugar. I have taken it at the
blossoms of wood sage, white campion, and woundwort (_Stachys_), and
Barrett notes, bladder campion, viper's bugloss, and the martagon lily. The
species is chiefly found, as regards England, in the southern and eastern
counties; and in the Solway, Clyde, Forth, and Tay districts of Scotland.
Louth is the only Irish county from which it has been reported. The range
abroad extends to Amurland. In North America the species is represented by
var. _purpurissata_, Grote.
THE GREY ARCHES (_Aplecta_ (_Mamestra_) _nebulosa_).
Grey of some shade is the more general hue of this species, but it varies
in the West of England and in Ireland to white (var. _pallida_, Tutt), and
this form is shown on Plate 119, Fig. 3. In Cheshire (Delamere), Lancashire
(Warrington), and South Yorkshire black or blackish forms occur, and two
examples of this melanic race are portrayed on the plate, Fig. 4 being var.
_robsoni_, Collins, and Fig. 5 var. _thompsoni_, Arkle. Over the greater
part of England, and in Scotland, the greyish form is most frequently met
with, but the white form has been found in Argyllshire and in Sutherland.
The caterpillar is ochreous brown or brownish grey, with a series of
diamond-shaped blackish marks, and a pale central line, on the back; {239}
the dots and the spiracles are black, each of the latter with a blackish
streak in front of it. In the autumn it feeds upon dock and other low
plants; but in the spring, when it is more easily found, the caterpillar
eats the buds and young leaves of birch, oak, sallow, bramble, etc. The
moth is out in June and July, and is not uncommon in woods. The black form
seems to be peculiar to north England. In Amurland the species is
represented by var. _askolda_, Oberthür, and in North America by var.
_nimbosa_, Guenée.
THE CABBAGE MOTH (_Barathra brassicæ_).
The darker markings of this very common greyish moth are often very
obscure, but the white outline of the reniform stigma, and the white
submarginal line are usually distinct. The caterpillar varies in colour,
but generally is some shade of dull brown or greenish, with the usual dots
greyish or green tinged. The central line on the back is dusky, speckled
with white, and the stripe low down on the sides is yellowish, greenish, or
dingy brown; head ochreous brown marked with darker or greenish. Although
it is exceedingly partial to the cabbage and other plants of the kind, it
will feed upon almost every sort of low herbage, wild or cultivated.
Barrett states that it has been found feeding on oak. I have taken it from
birch in the garden, and it is known to eat leaves of almost any tree or
shrub that may be offered to it in confinement. July to October. The moth
is out in June and July, and sometimes there is an emergence in September.
The species occurs over the whole of the British Isles, and abroad its
range extends to India, Amurland, and Japan. (Plate 120, Figs. 3[male],
6[female].)
THE DOT (_Mamestra persicariæ_).
The striking feature of the bluish-black moth shown on Plate 120, Figs. 1,
2, is the brownish centred white reniform {240} stigma. Except that the
yellowish submarginal line is sometimes obscured, the species is very
constant in the British Isles. Abroad, a form without the white mark is
known as _unicolor_, Staud., and one or two examples have been recorded as
occurring in England, two in 1895 said to have been reared by a northern
collector from caterpillars obtained in the London district. The
caterpillar figured on Plate 129, Fig. 2, was pale green with darker green
markings. In another form the colour is pale brown with the markings darker
brown. It is found from August to October on all sorts of low plants, and
in the garden, where it is often common in the suburbs of London, is very
fond of the foliage of _Anemone japonica_ and lupin, among other plants.
The moth is out in July and August, but is not often common north of the
Midlands, though it occurs, or has been found in almost all the counties of
England. Its occurrence in Scotland seems to be doubtful, and Kane states
that it is rare in Ireland, and almost absent from the northern counties.
Its range abroad extends to China and Japan.
THE WHITE COLON (_Mamestra albicolon_).
Two specimens of this species are shown on Plate 120, Figs. 7, 8. It will
be noted that, except for the two white dots at the lower outer edge, the
outline of the reniform mark is very obscure; these dots are placed one
below the other, thus forming a :, hence the English name of the moth.
Blackish specimens have been obtained on the east coast of Scotland.
The caterpillar is green or bluish grey, with a dark-edged pale central
line; spiracles white, margined with black. Barrett states that it feeds in
June and July, and probably as a partial second generation in September, on
plantain, dandelion, and other low plants growing in sand; probably also on
_Atriplex_, _Chenopodium_, and Cruciferæ; but it is a larva of secret
habits and is very little known.
[Illustration]
Pl. 118.
1, 1a. LARGE YELLOW UNDERWING: _eggs and caterpillar_.
2. LESSER YELLOW UNDERWING: _caterpillar_.
3, 3a. LESSER BROAD-BORDER: _caterpillar and chrysalis_.
4, 4a. BROAD-BORDERED YELLOW UNDERWING: _caterpillar and chrysalis_.
[Illustration]
Pl. 119.
GREY ARCHES MOTH _and varieties_.
{241}
The moth, which flies in May and June, and again in July and August,
frequents sandhills on the west, especially those of Yorkshire, Lancashire,
Cheshire, and Wales. In Norfolk and Suffolk it is found in the Breck Sand
district as well as on the coast, and it also occurs on the coasts of
Dorset, Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall, but seems to be uncommon in most of
these counties. In Scotland it occurs in suitable parts of the east coast
to Aberdeen, and on the west coast to the Clyde; and in Ireland on the
coasts of Kerry, Louth, and Derry.
THE BRIGHT-LINE BROWN-EYE (_Mamestra oleracea_).
The English name of this very common moth (Plate 120, Figs. 4, 5), applies
to the majority of specimens, but now and then the ochreous, or yellow
reniform stigma, referred to as the brown eye, is blurred and indistinct,
and the white submarginal line may almost disappear. The ground colour of
the fore wings ranges from reddish or purple brown to dark brown. The
caterpillar (Plate 129, Fig. 1), varies from green to light brown,
sometimes the brownish forms are tinged with pink; the body is minutely
dotted with white, and the usual dots are black; the spiracles are white,
margined with black, and placed on the blackish edge of a yellow stripe;
there are three greyish, but frequently indistinct, lines on the back. It
feeds from July to September on most low plants, and is often found in
abundance under spreading clumps of goose-foot (_Chenopodium_), and has
been noted in profusion upon tamarisk growing by the sea. The moth flies in
June and July, sometimes in the autumn. Except, perhaps, in the Hebrides,
it has been found throughout the British Isles.
THE LIGHT BROCADE (_Mamestra genistæ_).
The moth portrayed on Plate 121, Fig. 1, is not given to much variation.
The central area enclosed by the cross lines is {242} more or less clouded
with reddish or purplish brown, not extending, as a rule, below the black
bar between the lines, but sometimes the inner area is clouded with
purplish from the second cross line to the base of the wing. The
caterpillar is pale olive greenish above, with brownish and blackish
diamonds or V-shaped markings; three lines on the back are dark-edged but
indistinct; a cloudy line along the white spiracles. The colour varies from
greenish to brownish grey or purplish brown, and all shades may occur in
the same brood. It feeds in July and August on broom, dyer's greenweed
(_Genista tinctoria_), persicaria, and other low plants. The moth is out in
May and June, and may be seen in the daytime on palings and other kinds of
fencing, and also on tree trunks. It occurs in England from Worcestershire
and Northampton southwards, but seems to be rarely met with northwards.
Four or five specimens were taken at electric light near Tarporley,
Cheshire, about 1900 (Day's List). It has been recorded from Ayr, Argyll,
and Paisley in Scotland, but its occurrence in Ireland is doubtful. The
distribution abroad ranges to Eastern Siberia.
THE DOG'S TOOTH (_Mamestra dissimilis_).
The example of this species shown on Plate 121, Fig. 2, is of the
reddish-tinged pale brown form from Essex; but in that county, and also in
other parts of England, the fore wings are sometimes clouded with
sooty-brown. In other forms the fore wings are purplish or reddish brown,
and the markings may be very distinct, or much obscured. The caterpillar is
greenish or brown, minutely dotted with white, and freckled with dark
greyish; the usual dots are black; there are indications of darker lines on
the back, but these are not always clearly defined; the white spiracles are
set in the black interrupted edge of a yellowish stripe. It feeds in July
and August, on dock, plantain, etc. The moth flies in June and July, and
occasionally in the autumn. Its haunts are marshy places, especially on the
coast, and mosses; and it is found in most of the seaboard southern and
eastern counties, and more rarely inland. Recorded from Ayr and
Kirkcudbright in Scotland; is widely distributed in Ireland, and not rare
in Louth and Kerry.
[Illustration]
Pl. 120.
1, 2. DOT MOTH.
4, 5. BRIGHT-LINE BROWN-EYE.
3, 6. CABBAGE MOTH.
7, 8. WHITE COLON.
[Illustration]
Pl. 121.
1. LIGHT BROCADE.
2. DOG'S TOOTH.
3, 4. DARK BROCADE.
5. BEAUTIFUL ARCHES.
6. BEAUTIFUL BROCADE.
7. PALE SHOULDERED BROCADE.
{243} THE PALE-SHOULDERED BROCADE (_Mamestra thalassina_).
The whitish or creamy-white patch at the base of the reddish-brown fore
wings is a noticeable feature of this moth (Plate 121, Fig. 7), and is
almost always present, even when the wings are darkened and the other
markings more or less obscured. The W-like angles of the white submarginal
line run through to the fringes. In some specimens the general colour is
purplish brown, and in others greyish brown. The caterpillar is
greyish-brown with a slight reddish tinge, and freckled with darker brown;
the usual dots are black; central line dusky, a series of darker oblique
dashes on each side of it; the line along the spiracles is rather broad and
sometimes edged above with blackish. It feeds in August and September on
dock, groundsel, honeysuckle, broom, sallow, hawthorn, apple, etc. The moth
is out in June, earlier or later according to the season; sometimes it
appears again in August or September. It may be found, commonly as a rule,
in most woods over the greater part of the British Isles.
THE BEAUTIFUL BROCADE (_Mamestra contigua_).
The moth (Plate 121, Fig. 6) has a pale patch at the base of the fore wing,
but this is not so conspicuous as is the pale orbicular stigma, which is
often united with a pale mark at its lower edge; another pale patch lies at
the inner angle, and the whole area between the second cross line and the
clouding on {244} the outer margin may be pale. Sometimes these pale
markings are tinged with pink, and more rarely the whole surface is pinkish
suffused. The caterpillar is yellowish-green with reddish V-shaped marks on
the back; a yellowish line along the black-margined white spiracles.
Buckler figures a reddish-brown form, with a yellowish stripe below the
spiracles. It feeds in August and September on birch, oak, golden rod, bog
myrtle (_Myrica gale_), dock, brake-fern (_Pteris aquilina_), etc. The moth
appears in June, and may sometimes be seen in the daytime on tree trunks or
palings. It is a woodland species, but although it occurs in most southern
and eastern counties, it is not common in any of them; it becomes commoner
in the Midlands, but is scarce in, or absent from, the northern counties of
England, and in Wales. In Scotland it is more frequent in some localities
from Argyll to Ross. Kane notes it as local, and sometimes abundant, but
from the localities given it would seem to be widely distributed in
Ireland. The range abroad extends through Northern Asia to Japan.
THE BROOM MOTH (_Mamestra pisi_).
The moth shown on Plate 122, Figs. 1, 2 varies considerably, in the colour
of the forewings ranging from purplish red to dingy ochreous brown or
greyish brown. The cross lines and occasionally the stigmata and shades may
disappear, but the yellow submarginal line always remains, at least in
part. The caterpillar (Plate 129, Fig. 3) feeds on the foliage of a variety
of plants including brake fern or braken, sweet gale, broom, bramble, wild
rose, and sallow, and may be found, often in the daytime, in August and
September. It is usually of some shade of green or brown, occasionally
blackish, with yellow stripes. The moth is out in June and July and is more
or less common almost throughout the British Isles. The range abroad
extends to Amurland.
[Illustration]
Pl. 122.
1, 2. BROOM MOTH.
3, 4. NUTMEG MOTH.
5, 6. GLAUCOUS SHEARS.
7, 8, 9. SHEARS MOTH.
10. THE STRANGER.
11, 12. BRINDLED GREEN.
[Illustration]
Pl. 123.
1, 4. NORTHERN ARCHES MOTH.
3. NORTHERN ARCHES MOTH, _var. assimilis_.
2. BARRETT'S MARBLED CORONET.
5. GREY MOTH.
6. MARBLED CORONET.
7, 8. MARBLED CORONET _vars._
{245}
THE NUTMEG (_Mamestra trifolii_).