Butterflies and Moths Part 43

_The Blood-vein_ (_Timandra amataria_)

Our last example of the _Acidaliidae_ is the Blood-vein, which is common in most parts of England in June and July.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 185.--THE BLOOD-VEIN.]

Its fore wings are pale grey, dusted with darker grey, and crossed by an oblique red streak which runs from the tip of the fore wing to near the inner margin of the hind wing. A slender dark and wavy line lies outside this one, parallel with it in the hind wing, but meeting it near the tip of the fore wing.

The caterpillar is grey, with three white longitudinal stripes. It feeds in the autumn on dock (_Rumex_), sorrel (_R. acetosa_), and knot-gra.s.s (_Polygonum aviculare_).

Family--CABERIDae

Six species, all of rather small size, const.i.tute the British portion of the above family. Their wings are mostly white or pale grey, with light markings, and without angles. The moths are to be caught with the net at dusk, or they may be seen on fences and tree trunks during the day, with their wings fully extended and applied closely to the surface on which they rest.

The larvae, which have no humps, feed on trees, and change to the chrysalis state in light silken coc.o.o.ns.

_The Common Wave_ (_Cabera exanthemata_)

The first of our two examples of this small family is the Common Wave, the wings of which are pale grey, almost white, dusted all over with small dark dots. The fore wings are crossed by three parallel and equidistant darker transverse lines, and the hind pair by two. The male may be distinguished by its ciliated antennae.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 186.--THE COMMON WAVE.]

The caterpillar is yellow or greenish yellow, with hinder segments slightly swollen. It feeds during the latter part of the summer on sallows (_Salix caprea_ and _S. cinerea_) and alder (_Alnus glutinosa_), and changes to a chrysalis in a light coc.o.o.n among fallen leaves. In this state it spends the winter, the perfect insect emerging in May or June.

This species is very abundant in most parts.

_The Clouded Silver_ (_Bapta temerata_)

The other example is the Clouded Silver, the wings of which are white, and clouded along the hind margin with smoky grey. On the hind margin of the fore wings, close to the fringe, is a row of black crescent-shaped spots; and on the inner side of the cloudings is a waved transverse band. In the centre of the same wings there is a very distinct dark spot.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 187.--THE CLOUDED SILVER.]

This moth is not so common as the last, but is widely distributed. It flies in May and June.

The caterpillar is bright green on the upper side, and has a row of orange spots, bordered with brown, down the middle of the back. It feeds in the autumn on the blackthorn (_Prunus spinosa_) and the wild cherry (_P. Avium_), and spends the winter in the chrysalis state, inclosed in a light silken coc.o.o.n.

Family--MACARIIDae

_The_ V _Moth_ (_Halia Vauaria_)

The family _Macariidae_ contains only five British species, four of which have the tip of the fore wings extended more or less into an angle, and the hind wings are also angled to a greater or less extent.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 188.--THE V MOTH.]

Our only example is the V Moth, so called from the conspicuous V-shaped blackish mark on the middle of the costa of the fore wings. The ground colour of all the wings is grey, with a delicate violet tinge. There are other dark markings in addition to the one mentioned above, and the arrangement of these may be seen in the woodcut.

This species is very common in all parts, and flies at about midsummer.

The caterpillar is very variable in colour, but is generally green, and is marked with longitudinal wavy lines. On each side is a series of yellow blotches, forming a broken lateral stripe, and the body is covered with minute black bristle-bearing warts. It feeds in May on gooseberry and currant bushes, and changes to a chrysalis in a web between the leaves.

Family--FIDONIIDae

We now come to a family of moths peculiar for their habit of flying more or less by day. As is often the case with day-flying moths, these are mostly prettily marked, and are consequently often mistaken by the uninitiated for b.u.t.terflies. Most of them are to be found on heaths, downs, and open fields; but one--the Bordered White--is met with only in fir woods.

The wings are not angulated, and the antennae of the males are pectinated.

The larvae are generally to be distinguished by a couple of little horns on one or more of the hindermost segments, and in most cases they pupate beneath the surface of the soil.

_The Common Heath_ (_Ematurga atomaria_)

Of this family we shall select two examples, the first of which is the Common Heath, often so abundant on heaths and downs that they are disturbed at almost every footstep.

The ground colour of the wings of the male is a dull yellowish grey, and that of the female greyish white. In both cases the wings are crossed by irregular dark brown bands. The fringe is barred alternately with white and dark brown, and the whole of the ground tint between the above-mentioned bands is thickly dotted with dark brown. The female is generally smaller than the male.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 189.--THE COMMON HEATH.]

The caterpillar is very variable in colour, but is generally reddish brown, ochreous brown, or greenish, with a light line along the spiracles, and a series of lozenge-shaped spots on the back. It feeds on trefoils (_Lotus corniculatus_ and _L. pilosus_) and various other plants that grow on heaths.

_The Bordered White_ (_Bupalus piniaria_)

The male of this species is boldly marked with yellowish white and dark brown, the arrangement of the two colours being shown in fig. 190. The female is very different in general appearance. Her wings are of an almost uniform orange or yellowish-brown tint. The fore wings are darker near the tip, and there is generally a darker transverse band across the centre.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 190.--THE BORDERED WHITE--MALE.]

The male may often be seen flying in the sunshine among the branches of fir trees during May and June, but his mate is rather less active, and is generally to be secured by beating the branches.

The caterpillar is pale green, with whitish stripes and yellow spiracles. It feeds during August and September on the leaves of the Scotch fir (_Pinus sylvestris_).

Family--ZERENIDae

_The Currant Moth_ (_Abraxas grossulariata_)

The family _Zerenidae_ contains only four British moths, and of these we select the Currant Moth or Magpie. This insect is exceedingly common everywhere, and on account of its general brightness of appearance, and also of its diurnal habits, it is often taken for a b.u.t.terfly. The ground colour of the wings is creamy white, with a yellow transverse band, and a yellow blotch at the base; and the whole surface is more or less blotched with black.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 191.--THE CURRANT MOTH.]

From the end of June to August this moth may be seen in abundance in our gardens, wherever currant bushes exist, flying about both during the sunshine and at dusk, with rather a heavy movement.

The caterpillar is white, with a yellow line along the spiracles, and numerous black dots. There are, in addition to the dots, two large black blotches on the back of each segment. It feeds during May on currant and gooseberry bushes, also on the blackthorn (_Prunus spinosa_). About the end of May it spins a light silken coc.o.o.n, and changes to a short dumpy chrysalis of a glossy black colour with bright yellow bands (fig. 34).