Butterflies and Moths Part 42

_The Peppered Moth_ (_Amphidasys betularia_)

Although this common species displays no bright tints, yet it is prettily marked, its whitish wings being peppered and blotched all over with black or very dark brown. It flies in May and June, later than any other species of the family, and may generally be found on fences and tree trunks during the day.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 179.--THE PEPPERED MOTH.]

The colour of the caterpillar is very variable--drab, grey, green, or brown; but it may be known by the deep notch in the middle of the head, and the arrangement of its 'humps.' These latter are only small reddish or whitish projections, of which there is one on each side of the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, tenth, and eleventh segments; also two on the back of the ninth and twelfth. It feeds in August and September on a large number of trees, including, in fact, nearly all our commonest forest and fruit trees. In September it enters the soil to undergo its change to the chrysalis.

Family--BOARMIIDae

In the next family--_Boarmiidae_--there are about twenty British members, most of which are very pretty moths. They differ generally from the last family in that their bodies are more slender, and although some of them bear a resemblance to species of the family _Ennomidae_, their wings are not angulated. In several cases the fore and hind wings are both similarly marked, a feature very uncommon with moths.

The caterpillars of this family usually have humps on the sixth and twelfth segments only, and have two pairs of claspers. The pupae are to be found either on the ground, among leaves or moss, or beneath the soil.

_The Waved Umber_ (_Hemerophila abruptaria_)

The most gaily coloured member of this family is the Waved Umber, shown in fig. 6 of Plate XII. Like many other _Geometrae_, it rests on fences and tree trunks by day with wings expanded so that all four are displayed. It is on the wing in May and early June, and again in August, and often frequents our gardens at dusk.

The caterpillar is very dark brown, with a white collar on the front of the second segment. It feeds in June and July on privet (_Ligustrum vulgare_) and the cultivated rose trees of flower gardens, and probably also on the dog rose (_Rosa canina_). When full grown it spins a silken coc.o.o.n in a fork of one of the twigs, and there undergoes its metamorphoses.

_The Willow Beauty_ (_Boarmia gemmaria_)

Our second example of the _Boarmiidae_ is the Willow Beauty, the male of which species is here ill.u.s.trated. Its wings are brownish grey, marked with dark brown lines and streaks. The female is generally larger than the male, and has simple antennae. The moth is abundant throughout England, and may be seen generally resting on fences and trees in June and July.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 180.--THE WILLOW BEAUTY.]

The ground colour of the caterpillar is much the same as that of the moth, and is marked with a similar darker tint. It has a yellowish line along the spiracles, and is much like a piece of brownish twig. It feeds on the oak (_Quercus Robur_), Birch (_Betula alba_), ivy (_Hedera Helix_), and other trees, and may be found in September and October.

Family--GEOMETRIDae

The next family contains eight moths, mostly of small size, all of which have green wings, and are popularly known as the 'Emeralds.' In most cases the male may be distinguished by its pectinated antennae.

There is no general characteristic by which we may know all the larvae, but some have the head deeply notched.

_The Large Emerald_ (_Geometra papilionaria_)

This species is the largest of the family, and measures over two inches when its wings are expanded. The colour is dull green, with whitish bands and spots, the arrangement of which may be seen in our engraving.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 181.--THE LARGE EMERALD.]

The moth is out in July, and is common in most parts of England.

The caterpillar feeds on birch (_Betula alba_), beech (_f.a.gus sylvatica_) and hazel (_Corylus avellana_) in the autumn, and hybernates while still young. In the spring it feeds again, and is full grown in June, when it changes to a chrysalis in a coc.o.o.n spun between leaves.

_The Common Emerald_ (_Hemithea strigata_)

One of the commonest of the Emeralds is _Strigata_, which may be found in June and July in all parts of England, as well as in some localities in Scotland and Ireland. Its wings are of a dull green colour, the front pair being slightly scalloped on the hind margin, and crossed by indistinct pale lines; and the hind pair are both scalloped and angled and crossed in the middle by a transverse pale line. The fringe is white, dotted with dull reddish brown.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 182.--THE COMMON EMERALD.]

The caterpillar is yellowish green, except the second, third, and fourth segments which are brownish. It feeds on oak (_Quercus Robur_) and whitethorn (_Crataegus oxyacantha_), and may be found in June.

Family--EPHYRIDae

_The Maiden's Blush_ (_Zonosoma punctaria_)

The family _Ephyridae_ contains only six British species, chiefly remarkable for the fact that their pupae generally resemble those of b.u.t.terflies.

We choose for our example the pretty little Maiden's Blush, so called on account of the soft reddish patch on the middle of each fore wing. It is represented in fig. 7 of Plate XII. It is moderately common, occurring more or less in all parts of England, as well as certain localities in the sister countries. It is a double-brooded moth, and may be caught in May and August.

The caterpillar feeds on oak (_Quercus Robur_), from which it may be obtained by beating both in June and September. It is either green or tawny yellow, marked with yellow oblique lines on the sides.

Family--ACIDALIIDae

The moths of this family, over thirty in number, are mostly of small size, and have slender bodies. As a rule the wings are not in the least angulated or scalloped, but in a few species the hind pair are slightly angled on the hind margin; and both fore and hind wings are similarly marked. The antennae are simple in the females, and generally only slightly ciliated in the males.

The caterpillars are long and slender, without projections, and feed princ.i.p.ally on low plants. The pupae are to be found in loose coc.o.o.ns among the leaves of the food plants or under the soil.

We shall briefly notice three members of this rather extensive family.

_The Lace Border_ (_Acidalia ornata_)

The wings of this moth are silvery white, marked along the hind margin with a beautiful lace-like border. This border consists of delicate black and dark grey lines, and includes, in the fore wing, two light brown blotches, one near the middle and the other in the a.n.a.l angle. It is abundant in England, particularly in chalky districts, but does not seem to extend into Scotland. It may be seen on the wing from June to August.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 183.--THE LACE BORDER.]

The caterpillar feeds on thyme (_Thymus Serpyllum_) and marjoram (_Origanum vulgare_).

_The Riband Wave_ (_A. aversata_)

All the wings of this species are of a pale yellowish or ochreous grey.

The fore wings are crossed by three transverse dark lines, and the hind wings by two. The s.p.a.ce between the two outer lines of the fore wing and that between the lines of the hind wing are usually filled in with a greyish brown, thus forming the 'riband' from which the popular name of the insect is derived; and when this is the case the lines which border the riband are scarcely distinguishable. Just inside the second line of the fore wings, near the costa, is a small but conspicuous brown spot.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 184.--THE RIBAND WAVE.]

The moth flies in June and July, and is common in all parts.

The caterpillar is dark brown except segments ten to thirteen, which are grey. The line along the spiracles is whitish, and the surface of the body is roughened by a number of minute warts. It feeds on various low plants, including the meadow sweet (_Spiraea ulmaria_), water avens (_Geum rivale_), common avens (_G. urbanum_), and knot-gra.s.s (_Polygonum aviculare_), during April and May.