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
Pl. 127.
1, 2. FIGURE OF EIGHT MOTH.
3, 4. FEATHERED GOTHIC.
5. GREEN BRINDLED DOT.
6, 7. BEAUTIFUL GOTHIC.
8, 9. ANTLER MOTH.
{255} FEATHERED GOTHIC (_Tholera_ (_Epineuronia_) _popularis_).
The male of this species (Plate 127, Fig. 3) is strongly attracted by
light, and frequently seen in houses, and is no doubt a familiar object to
most residents in the country, and even in the suburbs of London. The
female (Fig. 4) does not visit light, but this sex, and the males also, may
be found sitting after dark upon the upper erect leaves of the hard
grasses, such as the matweed (_Nardus stricta_). Of course a lantern will
be required to throw a light on the business of collecting them, and it is
curious to note that even the brilliant glare of the acetylene lamp does
not seem to disturb the moths very much, if at all.
The caterpillar is dark greenish brown and rather glossy, with a dusky
plate on the first ring upon which are traces of the five dark-edged pale
brownish stripes which traverse the body and meet on the last ring; the
latter has a black plate. The spiracles are black, and the head is
brownish, marked with {256} darker. The caterpillars hatch in the spring
from eggs laid the previous autumn, and may be found until July. They feed
at night on the leaves of grasses, especially _Nardus_ and such kinds,
growing in parks and open places. The moth is out in August and September,
and occurs more or less commonly throughout England and Wales. In Scotland
it is found in Ayrshire, and in other localities in the Clyde area; thence
eastward to Aberdeen. Kane states that in Ireland it is generally
distributed, and in some localities very abundant, as at Clonbrock, and on
the Wicklow coast.
THE HEDGE RUSTIC (_Tholera cespitis_).
The sexes of this moth are depicted on Plate 128, Figs. 8[male], 9[female].
In habits, and also in the kind of places it frequents, this species has
much in common with that last mentioned. It is certainly more local, but
its range in the British Isles is somewhat similar to that of the Gothic.
The life history also is very like that of the last species, and the
caterpillar feeds on the same kinds of grass.
ANTLER MOTH (_Cerapteryx_ (_Charæas_) _graminis_).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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