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
From July chrysalids moths will often emerge in August or September of the
same year, but none have appeared from those under observation. The
chrysalis is pale brown mottled with dark purplish or reddish brown, wing
cases reddish. The species frequents woods or wooded localities, and is
generally distributed throughout England and Wales, but commoner in some
parts than others. Rather local in Scotland but not uncommon in Perthshire.
Sometimes very abundant in Ireland, occurring in similar localities to the
preceding species. It is found over the greater part of Northern and
Central Europe, and as far east as Amurland and Japan. {88}
THE FIGURE OF EIGHTY (_Palimpsestis octogessima_).
This moth (Plate 36, Figs. 5, 6) may be distinguished by two whitish marks
on the fore wings which have some resemblance to the numerals 80, hence the
common name. These are really the white outlines of the reniform and
orbicular stigmata, each of which has the central part filled in with
black; sometimes the lower portion of the 8 is obscure, but in a general
way the character is not difficult to make out.
The caterpillar is yellowish tinged with greyish on the back; a greyish
plate on the back of the ring nearest the black marked orange head; three
black spots on each side of the first ring, two such spots on ring two, and
one on each side of rings three to eleven; the back of the last ring has a
greyish plate. It feeds in July and August, earlier or later in accordance
with season, on poplar. During the day it hides between united leaves, or
in a curled up withered leaf, upon the tree. The shining black chrysalis
with somewhat reddish ring divisions is enclosed in a rather loosely
constructed cocoon spun up between leaves, or among moss etc., at the base
of poplar trees. The moth emerges in May or June. It is partial to sugar,
and is said to prefer its sweets served up on poplar trunks. Probably it is
most often and regularly obtained in the Eastern Counties, but it is
locally not uncommon in Worcestershire and Herefordshire; also found in
Gloucestershire, Somerset, Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Surrey, and, I
believe, Sussex. The range abroad is similar to that of _T. batis_.
THE POPLAR LUTESTRING (_Palimpsestis or_).
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