This beautiful moth is peculiar to the Canary Islands,
although allied species are found over the greater
part of Europe.[6] It expands from three to three and
a half inches. The fore-wings are silvery grey in
colour, having dark olive-grey markings, and a long
stripe of this colour, increasing in width towards the
body, from the apex to the base. The hind-wings are
a rich pink, having a marginal band of dark brown, and
a fine white line on the outer edge. The antennæ,
which are white, are thick and feathered. The head
and body, thickly feathered with white, are of an olive
brown colour. Two bands of black cross the top of
the abdomen, which tapers off to a point, with bands of
alternate white and olive brown slightly marked with
black. The caterpillar is easily found on the Euphorbia
where it feeds gregariously. It is a beautiful dark pink,
the horn being of this colour. The dark pink is interspersed
with dusky green and greyish black spots, and
the caterpillar, when at full size, attains a length of
about four inches. It is found from January till the
end of May, but in the greatest numbers in April,
whilst the Euphorbia is in its prime. The road-side
between Rambla and Icod is a particularly favoured
spot. About one or two inches of dried earth prepared
as already mentioned are required for the larva to
make its slight case in, though when in a natural state
it buries itself much deeper, and the pupa is difficult
to find. Some were fed and reared on a species of
milk-wort. They thrived, but eventually turned into
small moths of a paler colour than usual. The pupa
varies much in the time of turning to the moth stage,
according to the weather,--from six weeks, the usual
time, to three months. Some caterpillars obtained in
January did not become moths till the end of March;
others taken at full growth on March 15th effected
their last change to the moth during the last week in
April and first week in May. The pupa when it first
turns is of a beautiful shaded green colour with yellowish
markings, but it changes to a uniform brown in
a few days. The caterpillar is sometimes affected by
a disease which consists of a small red fungus growing
on the body, generally towards the tail. One small
brood was entirely lost from this disease, which seemed
to be contagious. As a rule, however, the larvæ are
easy to keep, and the chrysalides hatch well and strongly.
When numbers are kept, an old wine-case should be
substituted for the smaller breeding-cages already mentioned,
the mosquito-netting being used in the same
way. A little sun is beneficial to them every day in
the morning. When kept too long in the sun, however,
they cease to feed, although when in a natural
state sunny localities are most favoured. They are not
night-feeders only.
[6] See Appendix D.