The Moths of the British Isles, First Series: Comprising the Families Sphingidæ to NoctuidæSouth, Richard
History
The Moths of the British Isles, First Series: Comprising the Families Sphingidæ to Noctuidæ
South, Richard
Lepidoptera -- Great Britain; Moths -- Great Britain
The moth emerges in July and August in a state of nature, but often as
early as June in confinement. It sits by day among the herbage, and in the
bushes of hedgerows, but readily quits its retreat when disturbed. The
normal time of flight is at night; and that light has an attraction for the
moths is evident from the fact that they have been known to fly into
cottages at the rate of three or four in an evening.
The species is distributed throughout Southern Europe, its {166} range
extending to Holland, Belgium, and Livonia. It was known as an inhabitant
of the Channel Islands long before it became established in England.
THE SCARLET TIGER (_Callimorpha dominula_).
Except in minor details this tropical-looking moth (Plate 89) seems little
given to variation in England. In parts of Central and Southern Europe, and
Asia Minor, striking forms occur, and some of these are very occasionally
found with us. Among such rare aberrations in this country are var.
_rossica_, Kol., with yellow hind wings; and var. _bithynica_, Staud., with
the spots on the fore wings yellow, and the hind wings of the normal
crimson colour. A South European form, var. _persona_, Hübn., has the hind
wings and body black, with some yellow marks on the basal area; spots on
the fore wings smaller than in the type. Specimens approaching this form
have been reported from Kent, which county is also noted for "black
_dominula_." In the latter variety the hind wings, body, and spots on fore
wings are blackish; it is exceedingly rare. A specimen taken at St.
Margaret's Bay, Kent, some years back has the spots on the fore wings
blurred, due to a cloudy suffusion filling up the space between them; the
spots on the hind wings are pale.
Caterpillar, black, hairy, with bands of more or less connected spots,
yellow or yellowish in colour, down the middle of the back, and along the
sides; the hairs, arising from shining black warts, are grey with some
black ones intermixed. Head, glossy black. It hatches from the egg in July
or August, feeds for awhile, then hibernates, and completes its growth in
April or May. A number of plants have been mentioned as suitable food for
these caterpillars, but the favourites are, perhaps, nettle, groundsel,
hound's-tongue (_Cynoglossum officinale_), bramble, sloe, and sallow (Plate
88).
[Illustration]
Pl. 88.
1, 1a. JERSEY TIGER: _caterpillars and chrysalis_.
2, 2a, 2b. SCARLET TIGER: _eggs, caterpillar, chrysallis and cocoon_.
[Illustration]
Pl. 89.
1, 2. SCARLET TIGER MOTH.
3, 4. JERSEY TIGER MOTH.
{167}
The chrysalis is dark reddish, rather blacker above; enclosed in a silken
cocoon spun up among leaves, etc., on the ground.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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