The Moths of the British Isles Volume Ii Part 44

ORANGE MOTH (_Angerona prunaria_).

Typical males of this species are orange and the females pale ochreous, all the wings sprinkled or freckled with purplish grey. (Plate 117, Figs. 1 [male], 7 [female].) Ab. _corylaria_, Thunberg (Figs. 2 [male], {281} 8 [female]), is brownish on the basal and outer marginal areas of the fore wings, and nearly the whole of the hind wings. The typical ground colour appears on the fore wings as a central band, but as a rule this does not quite reach the inner margin. Ab. _pickettaria_, Prout, is a modification of the _corylaria_ form, in which the typical ground appears on the front margin above the brownish basal patch, and also along the outer margin, thus narrowing the brownish border on that area; in one male specimen the right pair of wings were _corylaria_ and the left pair _pickettaria_.

Another modification has the basal and outer marginal areas "a nondescript grey shade in the male and a golden brown in the female" (ab. _pallidaria_, Prout). Ab. _spangbergi_, Lampa, is of the typical form, but is without the dark freckles. Other aberrations have been named, and at least one gynandrous specimen is known. The eggs, which are laid in June, hatch in about twelve days. The caterpillars feed slowly until September or October, and then hibernate; but it has been noted that when reared in confinement, and supplied with privet, they nibble the stems during the winter.

Occasionally, a caterpillar will feed up and a.s.sume the moth state in the autumn, but the usual habit is to complete growth in the spring, enter the chrysalis state in May, and appear as moths about the end of that month, if in captivity, or in June and July in the open. Various food plants have been given, among which are hawthorn, sloe, plum, birch, lilac, privet, and honeysuckle. The caterpillar is figured on Plate 118, Fig. 2.

The male flies in the early evening, but the female not until later. The species frequents woods, and may be disturbed by day from among the bracken and other undergrowth. It is more or less common in many woods throughout the southern half of England, and its range extends northwards to Yorkshire. In Ireland, it has occurred locally in counties Waterford, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Clare, and Galway. It has been {282} recorded from the Isle of Arran, but not from the mainland of Scotland.

Abroad, the distribution spreads to Amurland, Corea, and j.a.pan.

SWALLOW-TAILED MOTH (_Ourapteryx sambucaria_).

This conspicuous-looking insect (Plate 117, Fig. 6) is frequently seen in gardens, lanes, and the outskirts of woods, pretty well all over England, Wales, and Ireland. In Scotland, it seems to be rare and confined to the south, but has been noted up to Glasgow. Very rarely the cross lines of the fore wings are placed close together, but, except in the matter of size, there is, as a rule, little variation.

The caterpillar, of which a figure, from a coloured drawing by Mr. A. Sich, is given on Plate 118, Fig. 1, is brownish, variegated with reddish or purplish. It feeds, from August to June, on the foliage of hawthorn, sloe, elder, etc., but is especially partial to ivy.

The moth is out in July, and sometimes an odd specimen or two will appear in the autumn; one was captured at Gravesend on October 22, 1904.

The species is represented in Amurland and j.a.pan by the smaller and whiter var. _persica_, Menetries.

SCORCHED WING (_Eurymene dolabraria_).

The crumpled or shrivelled appearance of the wings, coupled with the brown coloration of the streaks and other markings on the wings, no doubt suggested the English name of this species (Plate 117, Fig. 3).

The twig-like caterpillar is brownish, tinged with greenish or reddish, and variegated with darker, especially along the back of the first three rings, the hump on ring 8, and a cross stripe on the last ring. It feeds on oak, birch, and sallow, from July to September.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

2 Pl. 116.

1, 1a, 1b. FEATHERED THORN: _eggs, natural size and enlarged, and caterpillar_.

2, 2a, 2b. SCALLOPED OAK: _eggs, natural size and enlarged, and caterpillar_.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

2 Pl. 117.

1, 2, 7, 8. ORANGE MOTH.

3. SCORCHED WING.

4, 5. BRIMSTONE.

6. SWALLOW-TAILED.

{283} The moth, which inhabits woods, and is out in late May and in June, is sometimes attracted to sugar, but rather more frequently to light. It is, however, far more rarely seen than the caterpillar, which has been obtained in almost every English county up to Yorkshire. A specimen of the moth has been recorded from Darlington, Durham, and one at Meldon Park, Northumberland. It occurs in Wales and Ireland, but is hardly known to be found in Scotland.

The range abroad extends to Amurland and j.a.pan.

THE BRIMSTONE (_Opisthograptis luteolata_).

This generally distributed and often common yellow species (Plate 117, Figs. 4 and 5) has the front margin of the fore wings marked with reddish, and occasionally a stripe of this colour extends along the front margin from the base to the tip; the discal mark is whitish outlined in reddish brown; the wavy cross lines are often faint, and not infrequently quite absent. White specimens, ab. _lacticolor_, Harrison, have been recorded from Cheshire and Durham, and probably have occurred elsewhere, since I have a specimen said to have been taken in Staffordshire; an orange-yellow form has occurred in the last-named county. (Also known as _Rumia crataegata_.)

The twig-like caterpillar is brownish tinged with greenish or purplish; there is a double-pointed hump on the back of ring 6 and smaller projections on 8. It feeds on hawthorn chiefly, but sometimes on sloe, plum, etc. It may be found after hibernation in the spring, and a second generation occurs in the summer.

The moth seems to have been noted in each month from April to August, but it is most frequent in May and June. {284}

BORDERED BEAUTY (_Epione apiciaria_).

The orange-yellow moth whose portrait is shown on Plate 119 (Fig. 1) has the outer margins, beyond the second blackish line, more or less shaded with purplish grey, inclining to purple near the line; on the fore wings, the first cross line is angled at the middle, and the second line runs to the tips of the wings. Gynandrous specimens of this and also the following species have been noted.

The early stages are figured on Plate 121, Figs. 2, 2a. The eggs, which are laid in July and August on the food plant, are pale yellow at first, then reddish, with white dots and patches. The caterpillars generally emerge in the following spring, but sometimes, at least in captivity, they hatch in about a fortnight, feed up quickly, and attain the moth state in September or October.

Caterpillar, brown, with a greenish or ochreous tinge; along the back of rings 3 to 6 is an ochreous patch, and within this a black mark, and on the rings following 6 there are more or less distinct ochreous diamonds; a dull yellowish line low down along the sides; head, dull reddish brown. It feeds, in May and June, on willow, sallow, alder, etc. The moth is out in July and August, and is not uncommon in many parts of Southern and Eastern England. Its range extends through England, Wales, and Scotland to Sutherland. In Ireland, it is widely distributed, and not at all scarce in some northern localities.

DARK BORDERED BEAUTY (_Epione parallelaria_).

As will be seen on referring to Plate 119 the s.e.xes of this species are strikingly different. The male (Fig. 2) is very similar to the last species, except that the first cross line is curved and reddish brown in colour; the second line runs to the front margin before the tip, and the outer margin beyond is almost entirely purple. The female (Fig. 3) has the ground colour pale yellowish, and the outer borders narrowed, especially on the fore wings. Very occasionally, the ground colour in the male approaches that of the female. The eggs (Plate 121, Fig. 1) are pale yellow when deposited, but afterwards become honey yellow, freckled with reddish, and later they are red all over. The caterpillar is dingy brown, inclining to greyish on the back of the first four rings, a dark mark about the middle of the back, and on each side of this two slender whitish lines are fairly distinct; underside, whitish tinged with pale violet. It feeds, in May and June, sometimes later, on dwarf sallow and willow, birch, aspen, etc.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

2 Pl. 118.

1. SWALLOW-TAILED: _caterpillar_.

2. ORANGE MOTH: _caterpillar_.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

2 Pl. 119.

1. BORDERED BEAUTY.

2, 3. DARK BORDERED BEAUTY.

4. LITTLE THORN.

5, 6. SPECKLED YELLOW.

7. PEAc.o.c.k.

8. SHARP-ANGLED PEAc.o.c.k.

9, 10. TAWNY-BARRED ANGLE.

{285} The moth is out in July and August, sometimes later. Although odd specimens have been recorded from Norfolk, St. Ives (Hunts), Newbury (Berks), and Arundel (Suss.e.x), the species is a northern one, occurring chiefly near York (Sanburn Moss).

In 1863, two specimens were secured at Learmouth Bog, near Cornhill-on-Tweed, and in 1890, Bolam found it at Newham Bog, on the Northumberland border. Renton states that it is fairly common in good seasons at Adderstone-lea Moss, Roxburghshire; and Salvage found it widely distributed in Sutherlandshire.

LITTLE THORN (_Epione advenaria_).

This species (Plate 119, Fig. 4) is usually whitish, freckled and clouded with grey brown; cross lines rather darker. The markings may be tinged with ochreous, or with red (Sheffield).

A uniform brown-coloured specimen with white fringes has been bred (Surrey).

The caterpillar is greyish brown, minutely freckled with blackish; two white spots on front of ring 5, and two smaller {286} ones on 11; the rings between 5 and 11 with pale diamonds on the back, and whitish marks on the sides; head, black, white dotted. It feeds, in July and August, or even later, on dogwood, bilberry, sallow, etc. Mr. A. J. Scollick, who kindly provided the caterpillar figured on Plate 121, Fig. 3, informs me that in rearing larvae from the egg he finds that they prefer dogwood as a pabulum, and that in the locality where he takes the moth in June there is no bilberry, but plenty of _Cornus sanguinea_. This local species, which is out from late May well into June, is generally a.s.sociated with bilberry, but by no means confined to localities where this plant flourishes. In some of its haunts it affects bramble, and in others rose. It occurs, in woodlands, in Ess.e.x, Kent, Surrey (Leith Hill, Horsley, Chilworth, etc.), Berkshire, and Oxfordshire (near Watlington), Suss.e.x (Abbots Wood, St.

Leonards Forest, etc.), Hampshire (New Forest), Devonshire (Haldon), in the West to Shropshire, and South Wales; Derbyshire and South Yorks.

The range abroad extends to Amurland, Corea, and j.a.pan; thus it has a more eastern distribution than either of our other species of _Epione_, which only reach Amurland.

SPECKLED YELLOW (_Venilia maculata_).

This pretty blackish-spotted yellow species (Plate 119, Figs. 5 and 6) varies somewhat in the tint of ground colour, but more so in the number and size of the markings; occasionally some of these are united, forming bands or blotches; or they may be reduced in number and size, leading up to ab.