{171} The caterpillar is said to feed only in the sunshine, so that in our islands the weather conditions would often be most unfavourable to the species in the larval state. On the other hand its sun-loving habit would expose it to the attacks of parasitical flies and other enemies. Anyway, the Crimson Speckled seems quite unable to increase and multiply to any extent even for a season in any part of England. Along the African and European borders of the Mediterranean there are evidently several generations of the moth in each year; the life cycle of the summer broods being short, but more protracted in the later brood. Brownlow states that eggs laid on October 20, hatched on the 22nd of the same month, and the caterpillar stage lasted until February of the following year. Distribution: Southern Europe, Africa, Canaries, Madeira; Asia Minor, Armenia, Central Asia; India, and Australia. Meyrick and others refer this species to _Utetheisa_, Hübn. THE CINNABAR (_Hipocrita jacobææ_). This species was named the Cinnabar by Wilkes in 1773, such name of course referring to the more or less vermillion colour of the hind wings and the markings on the greyish black fore wings. The hind wings are often pinkish in tint, and probably it was to such specimens that Moses Harris gave the name "Pink Underwing." Very rarely the stripe on the front edge of the fore wings unites with the upper hind marginal spot; still less frequently there are some crimson scales in addition connecting the two hind marginal spots. Occasionally specimens have been recorded in which the usual red colour is replaced by bright yellow. The moth is shown on Plate 92, Figs. 1, 2, and the early stages on Plate 93, Fig. 1. The caterpillar is orange yellow and each ring is banded with purplish black; the scanty hairs are short and blackish in colour. Head black. Feeds in July and August on ragwort (_Senecio jacobæa_) and sometimes occurs in such numbers as to completely clear large patches of the plant of every particle of green, leaving nothing but the tougher portions of the bare stems. {172} The chrysalis is dark-brown tinged with reddish; in a slight silken cocoon just under the surface of the ground, or among any loose material on the ground. [Illustration: FIG. 24. CINNABAR CATERPILLARS FEEDING. (Photo by W. J. Lucas.)] The moth is on the wing at the end of May and in June; odd specimens have occasionally been seen in April. It occurs on waste ground, sandy heaths, railway banks, downs, and hill-sides. Although fairly common generally, in some years it is not at all plentiful even when caterpillars may have abounded the previous season. When disturbed from among its food plant or herbage around, it is not very active on the wing, and is easily captured. Its usual time of flight is in the evening. Light seems to have an attraction for it, as it has been taken at gas lamps in towns, some distance from any place where the caterpillar could have fed.