The Moths of the British Isles Volume Ii Part 55

7. LUNAR HORNET MOTH.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

2 Pl. 155.

1. YELLOW-LEGGED CLEARWING.

2, 3. RED-BELTED CLEARWING.

4. LARGE RED-BELTED CLEARWING.

5. RED-TIPPED CLEARWING.

6. SIX-BELTED CLEARWING.

7. THRIFT CLEARWING.

8, 9. FIERY CLEARWING.

{351} The caterpillar is yellowish white, with a red brown head, and a yellow plate on the first ring of the body. It feeds on the roots and lower portion of the trunks of poplar. The brown s.h.i.+ning chrysalis is enclosed in a coc.o.o.n of wood sc.r.a.pings woven together with silk. The moth is out in May and June; and has been found, newly emerged, sitting on stems of poplar in the morning.

The eastern counties of England appear to be most favoured by this species, but it also occurs northwards to Yorks.h.i.+re, southwards to Devons.h.i.+re, and a specimen has been recorded from Rhyl, North Wales. In Scotland, it has been reported from some localities in the south; Kane states that he has reason to believe that the species occurs in the northern half of Ireland, and that he found caterpillars plentiful in young poplars growing in a marsh near the city of Waterford.

LUNAR HORNET (_Trochilium crabroniformis_).

Another hornet-like moth, best distinguished from that just mentioned by the yellow collar behind the black head (Plate 154, Fig. 7 [female]). The male is rather smaller, but otherwise similar.

The caterpillar is yellowish white, with dark brownish head, and a blackish edged yellow plate on the first ring of the body. It feeds in stems of sallow, willow, and poplar. In late June and through July the moth is on the wing, and may occasionally be seen at rest on leaves or stems of sallow, etc.

The species, known also as _bembeciformis_, Hubner, is generally distributed throughout England, Wales, and Ireland; in Scotland its range extends into Perths.h.i.+re.

Abroad it seems pretty much confined to Holland, Northern and Central Germany, Austria, and Bohemia.

CLEAR UNDERWING (_Sciapteron tabaniformis_).

This species is the _Trochelium vespiforme_ of some British authors, and the _aegeria asiliformis_ of Stephens and others.

Another English name for it is the Dusky Clearwing, and this refers to the cloudy fore wings. {352}

Stephens, writing of it in 1828, remarks: "Occasionally taken on poplars, near London, in June. I have obtained it from the neighbourhood of Bexley, and from Birchwood; but it is doubtless a rare species, and exists in few collections: of the male, I have hitherto seen but two specimens, one of which I possess." Both places mentioned by Stephens are in Kent, and one or two specimens of the species have since been reported from Ashford in the same county. The late Henry Doubleday took specimens at Epping, Ess.e.x.

Colney Hatch Wood in Middles.e.x has also been given as a locality in the past; more recently two specimens have been noted from Chiswick. The example shown on Plate 154, Fig. 4, is of continental origin.

The caterpillar lives under the bark of poplar trunks, and the moth flies in June and July.

WELSH CLEARWING (_Sesia scoliaeformis_).

As a British species this insect was first noted from Llangollen, in North Wales, somewhere about fifty years ago. In 1867 it was found to inhabit birch woods in the Rannoch district of Scotland, and later on its presence was detected in Sutherlands.h.i.+re. It has been recorded from Hereford; one example was reported from Wilts.h.i.+re in 1857; and two from Delamere Forest, Ches.h.i.+re (1901 and 1905). Kane (_Catalogue of the Lepidoptera of Ireland_) states that moths have been taken at Killarney, and caterpillars obtained in the same district, and also at Kenmare.

The caterpillar (Plate 156, Fig. 3; after Hofmann) feeds on the inner layer of bark of large birch trees, and is full grown about May. It turns to a dark brownish chrysalis, in a coc.o.o.n formed close up to the bark, which thinly covers the outer end of the burrow. The moth flies in June or sometimes July. It {353} is of comparatively large size, and may be distinguished from the next species by the yellow belts on its body, and the chestnut coloured tuft at the tail. (Plate 154, Fig. 2.)

WHITE-BARRED CLEARWING (_Sesia spheciformis_).

Although generally smaller, some specimens run very close to the last species in size. It may be distinguished by the single belt on the body and the black tail (Plate 154, Fig. 3). One of the best known localities for the species in England is Tilgate Forest, in Suss.e.x; but it also occurs in Hamps.h.i.+re (Basingstoke), Hereford (Tarrington), Worcesters.h.i.+re (Wyre Forest), Staffords.h.i.+re (Burnt Wood), Ches.h.i.+re (one, Delamere Forest, 1901), Denbighs.h.i.+re (Llangollen), Lancas.h.i.+re (Chat Moss), and Yorks.h.i.+re (Bishop's Wood, 1894).

The caterpillar feeds in stems of alder, and is full grown in May of the third year after hatching from the egg. It is said that the chrysalis may sometimes be found by bending and twisting the stems of alder, so as to cause the thin skin of bark over the exit hole of the burrow to crack, and so disclose its whereabouts. The burrow is generally low down the stem. The moth is out in June and early July, and is sometimes to be seen on sunny mornings at rest on alder leaves, or flying over and around the bushes.

ORANGE-TAILED CLEARWING (_Sesia andrenaeformis_).

Although known to be a British species since 1829, when a specimen was taken in a wood near Greenhithe, Kent, this insect continued to be very rare until quite recently. For a long time the caterpillar was supposed to feed in the stems of dogwood, but it is now known to live in the stems of the wayfaring tree (_Viburnum lantana_), and several specimens of the moth {354} have been reared during the past year or two. Unfortunately the caterpillar is much infested by parasites, and comparatively few escape attack. Notes on the life history of this moth, by the Hon. N. Charles Rothschild, Mr. Eustace Bankes, and Dr. Chapman, are published in the _Transactions of the Entomological Society of London_ for 1906 (Part IV., pp. 471-482).

Most of the known localities for the species are in Kent, but it has also been found in Surrey, Dorset, Gloucester, Hertfords.h.i.+re (Tring district), and Northamptons.h.i.+re (Oundle). Possibly it will be discovered in other parts of the country. I am indebted to Mr. L. W. Newman, of Bexley, for the specimen figured on Plate 1, Fig. 1. For the caterpillar mine in stem of _Viburnum_ (Plate 156, Figs. 2, 2a) my thanks are due to Mr. Rayward, who kindly sent me a living pupa, from which the moth duly emerged, but, I regret to add, escaped from the box in which the stick containing the chrysalis was kept.

Newman, in 1833, described this species as _Trochilium allantiformis_, and in 1842 it was figured by Westwood and Humphreys as _T. andreniforme_. It is distinguished from _Sesia tipuliformis_ by the two yellow belts of the body (the first sometimes indistinct) and the orange-yellow tuft in the blue-black tail; on the underside of the body there is a broad yellow band on the fourth ring, sometimes extending to the fifth and sixth.

CURRANT CLEARWING (_Sesia tipuliformis_).

In this species the body is narrowly belted with yellow, usually four belts in the male and three in the female; the tail tuft is black in both s.e.xes.

The outer marginal border of the fore wings has a bronzy tinge, due to orange patches between the veins. (Plate 154, Figs. 5 [male], 6 [female].)

The caterpillar lives in the stems and shoots of black and red currant bushes; it feeds on the pith, and works its way downwards. When full grown, about May, it gnaws an outlet to the {355} side of the stem, but does not penetrate the outer skin, although it reduces this to a very thin layer, through which the reddish brown chrysalis is able to force itself when the moth is ready to emerge. A figure of the caterpillar will be found on Plate 156, Fig. 1; the chrysalis protruding from currant stem (Fig. 1a) is from a photo by Mr. H. Main. In June or July, the moths are not infrequently seen on leaves of shrubs in gardens where there are currant bushes in or around such gardens, but the foliage of the food plant is a favourite resting place.

Generally distributed throughout England, the range extending into Wales, and South Scotland, but is apparently rare in these countries and also in some of the northern counties of England. Kane states that the species is common near Dublin, and is probably widely distributed in Ireland.

This species seems to have been introduced into North America, where its caterpillar is known as the "currant borer," and, as in England, is regarded with little favour by bush-fruit growers.

YELLOW-LEGGED CLEARWING (_Sesia vespiformis_).

This species (Plate 155, Fig. 1), known also as _asiliformis_, Rottemburg (1775), and _cynipiformis_, Esper (1782), is now held to be correctly referred to _vespiformis_, Linnaeus (1761). The crossbar of the fore wings is orange red in both s.e.xes; the body of the male has two more or less united yellow spots at the junction with the thorax, four yellow belts, and the tail tuft is black above, mixed with yellow below; in the female the body belts are usually one less than in the male, the yellow spots at the junction are generally run together, and the tail tuft is almost wholly yellow. As indicated by the English name, the legs are largely yellow in both s.e.xes.

The caterpillar feeds on the inner bark of oak trees, is full {356} grown in May or June, and turns to a brownish chrysalis in a cell formed in the bark. A well-known locality for this moth, which is out in July and early August, is Hyde Park, London. It is also found in woods or oak-timbered parks in Kent (Tunbridge Wells), Surrey, Suss.e.x (Abbot's Wood, Tilgate, etc.), Dorset (Glanvilles Wootton, etc.), Devon (Devonport, Plymouth, Topsham, etc.), Ess.e.x (Epping), Suffolk, Oxfords.h.i.+re, Gloucesters.h.i.+re, Leicesters.h.i.+re, Staffords.h.i.+re, and Yorks.h.i.+re (Doncaster).

RED-BELTED CLEARWING (_Sesia myopaeformis_).

One example of each s.e.x is shown on Plate 155, where Fig. 2 represents the male and Fig. 3 the female; both have a single belt on the body; as a rule, the belt is red, but occasionally it inclines to orange or yellow.

The caterpillar feeds on the inner bark of the trunks or boughs of apple, and sometimes pear, trees. It is nearly two years in maturing, but is full grown about June. The moth is out during the summer months, and is to be seen early on sunny mornings, newly emerged from the chrysalis on the trunks of the trees in which the caterpillar lives; the chrysalis skins will also be noted at the same time, sticking out from holes in the bark.

Later in the day it sits on leaves, etc., after its flights, and I have even found it occasionally on a gravel path, and once on the pavement of a road in North-west London.

The species seems to be most frequent in gardens and orchards around London, but it has been recorded from as far north as Lancas.h.i.+re and Yorks.h.i.+re; it is probably widely distributed over England. The Irish localities, mentioned by Kane, are Dublin, Cork, Killarney, and Clonbrock.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

2 Pl. 156.

1. CURRANT CLEARWING: _caterpillar and chrysalis skin_.

2. RED-TIPPED CLEARWING: _caterpillar_.

3. WELSH CLEARWING: _caterpillar_.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

2 Pl. 157.

1, 3. GHOST MOTH.

2, 4. DO., VAR. _THULENSIS_.

5, 6. ORANGE SWIFT.

{357}