The Moths of the British Isles Volume Ii Part 2

It is partial to light and to sugar, and where the latter is smeared over the foliage of trees and bushes it seems better attended by this, and other autumnal moths, than when painted on tree-trunks in the usual manner.

The species seems to be pretty generally distributed throughout Southern and Western England, and in some seasons it is very common. Eastward and through the Midlands it is perhaps less frequent; in the northern counties it is scarce on the east, but locally common on the west. It occurs in Wales; also in Scotland up to Perths.h.i.+re. According to Kane, it is widely distributed in Ireland, but most common on the coast.

Abroad, it appears to be confined to France and Spain, although it has been recorded from North-west Africa.

THE RED-LINE QUAKER (_Amathes_ (_Orthosia_) _lota_).

In its typical form this species is of a leaden-grey coloration on the fore wings, but these wings sometimes have a reddish {13} tinge (ab. _rufa_, Tutt). In others the ground colour is blackish (ab. _suffusa_, Tutt), and a rarer form (ab. _pallida_, Tutt) has the fore wings whitish grey with a distinct black reniform stigma, and red submarginal line. (Plate 7, Figs.

5, 6.)

The caterpillar is ochreous brown, sometimes tinged with reddish or purplish brown on the sides; of three whitish lines along the back, the central one is composed of spots, and the outer ones are not well defined, except on the dark first and last rings; the line along the sides is reddish. Head, glossy, pale reddish brown, marked with darker brown. It feeds on willow and sallow, and may be found among the foliage from April to June, and especially the topmost leaves of a twig, which it spins together with silk to form a retreat during the day. (Plate 5, Fig. 2.)

The moth comes freely to sugar in September and October, sometimes even later. It may be found pretty freely also at ivy bloom, and at the flowers of _Tritoma_. Although apparently commoner in the south, it is generally distributed throughout England, Wales, and Scotland up to Perths.h.i.+re and Aberdeen. In Ireland it is widely distributed, but local.

THE YELLOW-LINE QUAKER (_Amathes_ (_Orthosia_) _macilenta_).

The typical coloration of this species (Plate 7, Figs. 7 and 8) is pale ochreous brown, inclining to reddish in some specimens; the lower part of the reniform stigma black. Sometimes, the black spot is absent (ab.

_obsoleta_, Tutt). Another form has the ground colour pale yellowish brown, and this, with the black lower portion of the reniform present, is ab.

_straminea_, Tutt, while specimens of the same tint, but minus the black spot, are referable to ab. _obsoleta-straminea_ of the same author.

The caterpillar is reddish brown with white dots, and three white lines on the back; the line along the spiracles is whitish {14} with a dusky edge above. Head, ochreous brown; plate on first ring blackish lined with white.

It feeds on beech, oak, and heather. When approaching full growth it probably feeds on low-growing plants, and it may be found from April to June.

The moth flies in September and October, sometimes in November. Decaying apples seem to have a stronger attractive influence at times than either sugar or ivy bloom. Except that it appears to be local or scarce in the Midlands, the species occurs, in many parts commonly, throughout England, Wales, and Scotland to Moray. In Ireland it is generally distributed and abundant in some localities.

THE BRICK (_Amathes_ (_Orthosia_) _circellaris_).

Yellow or ochreous is the typical coloration, but the most frequent form of this common species in Britain is ab. _ferruginea_, Hubn., which is ochreous tinged with rust colour. Sometimes, the fore wings are more or less suffused with blackish, and with the markings black, such specimens are referable to _macilenta_ as figured by Hubner, Noct., Fig. 688. The more usual form is shown on Plate 7, Figs. 9, 10.

At the time it is freshly laid, the egg (Plate 5, Fig. 3a) is yellowish, but changes in about a week to purplish with a more or less distinct pearly sheen.

The caterpillar is brown inclining to yellowish, the head is reddish, and the plate on first ring blackish; there are three pale lines along the back, the central one more or less interrupted by dusky V-shaped marks, the others with an interrupted edging above; the stripe along the region of the blackish spiracles is yellowish grey. It lives on wych-elm and ash, eating the flowers, seeds, and leaves, but has a decided preference for the first two. It may be beaten in May and early June, sometimes in numbers, from the seeds (Plate 5, Fig. 3).

[Ill.u.s.tration]

2 Pl. 8.

1. CONFORMIST: _caterpillar_.

2. EARLY GREY: _caterpillar_.

3. RED SWORD-GRa.s.s: _caterpillar_.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

2 Pl. 9.

1, 2. FLOUNCED RUSTIC.

3-6. BEADED CHESTNUT.

7-9. BROWN-SPOT PINION.

{15}

The moth is out from late August well on into October, and is to be found, wherever its favourite trees are established, throughout the British Isles.

THE FLOUNCED RUSTIC (_Amathes_ (_Orthosia_) _helvola_).

On Plate 9 is shown a male specimen of the typical form (Fig. 1). In ab.

_ochrea_, Tutt, the general colour of the fore wings is ochreous with a greenish tinge, and so it differs from the type, in which the ground colour is reddish. In another ochreous form the cross bands are of a purplish tint (ab. _punica_, Borkhausen), and in ab. _rufina_, Hubner, the bands are also purplish, but the ground colour is of a somewhat brighter red than in the type. Ab. _unicolor_, Tutt, is dull reddish with indistinct cross markings, and seems to be a modification of the almost unicolorous form of a bright red colour, ab. _rufa_, Tutt. (Fig. 2.)

The full-grown caterpillar feeds, in April and May, on the foliage of the oak, the elm, and some other trees; also on sallow, hawthorn, and, according to Barrett, on bilberry and heather. In general colour it is brownish, often tinged with red, and more or less flecked with dark brown; a fine whitish line along the middle of the back is only clearly traceable on the front rings, but there is a very distinct white stripe along the region of the black spiracles. In an earlier stage it is green with three whitish lines on the back, and another on the sides.

The moth is out in September and October, rather earlier in Scotland.

Though much commoner in some districts than in others, this species is found in woodlands throughout the greater part of England, Wales, and the mainland of Scotland. In Ireland it appears to be rare, and has only been recorded, chiefly in single specimens, from Waterford, Wicklow, Galway, Armagh, and Derry. {16}

THE BEADED CHESTNUT (_Amathes_ (_Orthosia_) _lychnidis_).

The name of this variable species (Plate 9, Figs. 3-6), long known as _pistacina_, is now recognised as the _lychnidis_ of Schiffermiller, so, as the latter name has page priority over the former, it has to be adopted.

Fig. 3 on the plate represents a well-marked reddish specimen of the typical form. A great many forms have been named, but only a few of the more distinct of these can be referred to here. Fig. 4 shows the greyish ochreous aberration known as _serrina_, Fab. Ab. _ferrea_, Haworth (Fig. 5) has almost uniform reddish fore wings, and ab. _venosa_, Haworth has the fore wings greyish brown with the veins whitish.

When newly laid the egg (Plate 5, Fig. 1a) is yellowish, but changes to olive-brown. The caterpillar (Plate 5, Fig. 1) is green inclining to yellowish, freckled with greyish, and dotted with whitish; there are three fine whitish lines along the back, and a broad white stripe along the sides. It is found from March to June, and feeds on gra.s.ses, dandelion, groundsel, b.u.t.tercup, and a variety of low plants; it will also eat sallow.

The moth is out from September to November, and is often abundant at sugar and ivy bloom, and not uncommon on gas lamps or around electric lights.

Generally distributed and plentiful over the greater part of England and Wales, but from Yorks.h.i.+re northwards and through Scotland to Perths.h.i.+re it is very local, and apparently not at all frequent. In Ireland it is widely spread and common.

THE BROWN-SPOT PINION (_Amathes_ (_Orthosia_) _litura_).

On Plate 9 are shown specimens from Scotland (Figs. 8 [male], 9 [female]).

The male, which has the basal area of the fore wings pale, is referable to ab. _borealis_, Sparre-Schneider, whilst the female is more nearly typical.

In England the majority of the {17} specimens belong to ab. _rufa_, Tutt, which is reddish in the coloration of fore wing (Fig. 7). Sometimes the basal area in this colour form is pale also.

The caterpillar is green, sometimes tinged with olive and freckled with darker green; there are three dark-edged pale-green lines along the back; the under surface is tinged with yellowish, and is separated from the green colour of the upper surface by a whitish stripe, edged above with black; head, brownish, with darker freckles. It occurs in April and May, when it feeds on bramble, rose, oak, sallow, and some low-growing plants.

The moth is found in September and October throughout England, and Scotland up to Moray.

THE ORANGE SALLOW (_Cirrhia_ (_Xanthia_) _citrago_).

The ground colour of the fore wings is generally yellow, but in some districts the specimens exhibit a tendency towards orange-red. The latter tint is very decided in var. _aurantiago_, Tutt. There is but little variation in marking, but the central cross line is broader in some specimens than in others. (Plate 10, Fig. 1.)

The caterpillar is dark olive-grey above, with white dots, and obscure greenish beneath; of the three whitish lines along the back, the central one is rather wider than the other two, which are edged above with black; along the region of the spiracles the colour is whitish grey. Head, brown, s.h.i.+ning, and darker on the mouth; a black mark on ring of body next the head. (Adapted from Porritt.) It feeds on lime (_Tilia vulgaris_) in April and May, and conceals itself between two spun-together leaves during the daytime. In such retreats I have frequently detected them by simply standing under the branches and looking upwards and outwards from the trunk. When nearly full grown they more often descend the tree, and hide by day {18} among the undergrowth, etc., at the base of the trunk, whence they return to their feeding quarters by crawling up the tree at dusk.

The moth is out in August and September, and although it does not seem to care much about the collector's sugar when spread on tree trunks in the usual way, it seems to accept it freely enough when daubed on the foliage.

The leaves of the lime are, however, generally well coated with a sweet substance proceeding from _Aphides_, and commonly known as honeydew. This in itself is very attractive to the moths. The species seems to be widely distributed over England, and will perhaps be found in most districts where limes flourish. In Wales it has occurred in Flints.h.i.+re, Denbighs.h.i.+re, and Carnarvon. McArthur obtained a specimen in the Isle of Lewis in 1887, and Renton records it as found in Roxburghs.h.i.+re. Little is known of it from Ireland, but it has been noted from Wicklow and Galway.

THE BARRED SALLOW (_Ochria_ (_Xanthia_) _aurago_).

The ground colour of the fore wings, which in the type is pale yellow, ranges through various shades of yellow to deep orange. The basal and outer marginal bands are pale purplish, in the type, but in the more orange forms the bands are rather more reddish purple. In ab. _fucata_, Esper, the purplish colour of the bands spreads over the orange central area, and in ab. _unicolor_, Tutt, the orange invades the basal and outer marginal regions, so that the bands are pretty well obliterated, and the fore wings a.s.sume a more or less uniform orange coloration. The latter form is uncommon, but a rarer one in this country is ab. _lutea_, Tutt, which has the fore wings almost entirely orange-yellow. (Plate 10, Figs. 2 and 3, the latter inclining to ab. _unicolor_.)

The caterpillar is reddish brown with pale dots, and with {19} three whitish lines along the back; a pale stripe along the sides. Head, pale brown, s.h.i.+ning. May be found from April to June on beech, or on maple where this occurs around beech woods. At first it feeds on the buds, but later on the leaves; for protection during the day it spins together two of the leaves, and so forms a suitable resting place. Sycamore, it may be mentioned, is acceptable to this caterpillar when reared in captivity.

The moth is out in September and early October, and is chiefly found in the neighbourhood of beech woods, especially those in chalky districts in Oxford and adjoining counties, Hertfords.h.i.+re, Middles.e.x, Ess.e.x, Suffolk, Norfolk, Kent, Surrey, Suss.e.x, Wilts, Somerset, Dorset, and Devon. It also occurs in the counties of Hereford, Worcester, and Ches.h.i.+re; it has been found in Yorks.h.i.+re since 1890 in several localities, including Barnsley, Doncaster, Huddersfield, and Rotherham. At least one specimen has been recorded from Pembrokes.h.i.+re, and others from Flint and Denbighs.h.i.+re, in Wales.

THE PINK-BARRED SALLOW (_Xanthia lutea_ (_flavago_)).