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
Stephens, in 1829, figured one of two specimens of this species said to
have been taken near Bristol in 1816, a part of England {258} from which no
other specimen has ever been recorded so far as I am aware. In June, 1855,
the late Mr. S. Stevens obtained a few specimens at sugar, at Mickleham,
Surrey. Between the year last mentioned and 1894 five other specimens have
been recorded from the same county, these are Redhill (W. R. Jeffrey),
Boxhill (G. Elisha, a pair, and B. A. Bower), Reigate (R. Adkin). In Kent,
specimens have been found in the Folkestone and Tunbridge districts, but
the chalk downs between Ashford and Wye appear to be the headquarters of
the insect in Britain.
A portrait of a male specimen will be found on Plate 128, Fig. 1, but the
ground colour is much whiter in the majority of British specimens.
According to Dr. Chapman, the caterpillar varies from a nearly uniform
nankeen-yellow with the markings only indicated, to a handsome larva with
distinct black stripes. There is a pale dorsal line, quite narrow; thence
to the black spiracles is divided into three longitudinal stripes, a dark
dorsal, a dark (but less dark) lower one and a pale intermediate. In all
these the ground colour is the same, nankeen-yellow, and the darker areas
depend on the greater or less darkness of fine black mottlings, generally
in fine wavy streaks running more or less longitudinally. The head is
rather brown than yellow, mottled in a honey-comb pattern, with some black
marking about the mouth parts. It feeds at night from July to March on
various grasses, but seems to prefer _Poa annua_, and _P. nemoralis_. Dr.
Chapman reared some of these caterpillars by keeping each individual in a
separate glass jar and supplying it at frequent intervals with a fresh tuft
of _Poa annua_. The moth is out from May to July, and hides during the day
among the tufts of grass on chalk hills. It comes freely to sugar, and has
been taken at privet blossom.
THE SILVER CLOUD (_Xylomania conspicillaris_).
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