The Moths of the British Isles, First Series: Comprising the Families Sphingidæ to Noctuidæ — John Shaqi
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 brown fore wings with black cross lines, and the brownish bordered
orange hind wings, at once separate this from any other hawk-moth occurring
in our islands. Its greenish eggs are laid on bedstraw, and in July and
August the caterpillars may be found on the same kind of plant. They are
greenish or brownish covered with white dots; a whitish line runs along
each side of the back and a yellowish one lower down on the sides; the
spiracles are blackish, and the horn bluish shading into yellow at the tip.
The yellow-flowering bedstraw (_Galium verum_) seems to be the kind upon
which the caterpillar is most often found, but it also occurs on the hedge
bedstraw (_G. mollugo_). It has been known to eat wild madder (_Rubia
peregrina_), and is {52} stated to thrive in confinement on goose-grass or
cleavers (_G. aparine_). When full grown a loosely woven cocoon is formed
on the ground beneath the food plant, or other herbage, and therein the
caterpillar changes to an ochreous grey or brownish chrysalis. This is
marked with darker brown on the wing covers and around the spiracles; the
"tongue" case forms a small beak-like projection.
Like the Bee Hawks, referred to presently, the moth is a day flyer, and
delights in the sunshine, although it has been several times seen on the
wing quite late in the evening, and has also been observed hovering in
front of flowers and probing them with its long "tongue" even in the
pouring rain. Blossoms of very many plants, both wild and cultivated, seem
to receive its attention, but it is perhaps most partial to those of the
jasmine where available. In the south of Europe the species is generally
abundant throughout the year; but there would seem to be at least two
distinct broods, one appearing in June, and the other in October. Possibly
there may be an intermediate brood in August, as the period from egg to
moth is known to be less than two months. In the British Isles, so far as
one can gather from the records, caterpillars have only been found in July
and August. Single specimens of the moth have been seen in the earliest
months of the year, as for example, January 31, 1898 (Bath), January 3,
1899 (S. Wales), February 2, 1900 (London); it has also been observed
several times in December. These facts and others connected with this
species in Britain certainly lend colour to the oft-repeated statement that
the moth hibernates in this country. The insect is known to enter houses,
and to examine holes and cracks in walls, dry banks, etc., in the autumn.
Mr. J. P. Barrett, in a note, written in November or December, 1900, states
that six or seven moths came into his house at Margate in October, and that
one was still hidden in his bedroom. However, if it be granted that the
moth does hibernate here, the instances are so rare and isolated that,
unless such specimens are impregnated females, the chances of these
reproducing their kind the following year are not great. We have,
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