The Moths of the British Isles, Second Series: Comprising the Families Noctuidæ to HepialidæSouth, Richard
History
The Moths of the British Isles, Second Series: Comprising the Families Noctuidæ to Hepialidæ
South, Richard
Lepidoptera -- Great Britain; Moths -- Great Britain
The moth is out in September and October, and may be disturbed from the
pine boughs, or occasionally seen resting on the trunks, but it is more
frequently met with at night when it flies naturally, and has been known to
visit the sugar patch. Barrett, who considered this species to be double
brooded, gives June and July for the first flight of moths. Certain it is
that moths have been reared even as late as October from Spring
caterpillars. As adverted to, the pale reddish forms of _T. variata_ are
sometimes confused with _T. firmata_, but in addition to other differences
indicated above, it may be noted that in the male of the latter the
antennae are bipectinated except towards the tips. Most of the pine woods
throughout England seem to produce this delicate insect more or less
frequently; the same remark applies to Wales. In Scotland it is found up to
Aberdeen, and also in the Hebrides. The only localities mentioned by Kane
for Ireland are in counties Westmeath, Dublin, and Fermanagh.
JUNIPER CARPET (_Thera juniperata_).
On Plate 70, Figs. 4 and 5 represent the sexes of the typical form of this
species, the small and rather more strongly marked Scottish form is shown
by Figs. 7 and 8. In these small forms a noticeable character is the
brownish band on the fore wings, between the central band and the outer
margin; this band is {178} only indicated by a dusky greyish shade in the
larger form. Most of the examples of the small form from the Isle of Hoy
have also a dark central line on the hind wings. The central band of the
fore wings is often broken below the middle, in both forms.
The caterpillar is yellowish green, inclining to a black tinge on the back,
along which are three lines, the central one dark green, and the others
yellow and rather broad; a whitish stripe low down along the sides is
sometimes marked with yellow and red, and there is a red thread above it;
head, pink tinged; two points on last ring of the body. It feeds in July
and August, on juniper. The moth is out in October and November, and may be
found plentifully flying at night about the juniper bushes.
Berkshire, Kent, Surrey, and Sussex appear to be the only English counties
in which it is established, and it is probably most plentiful in the last
named. It has, however, been recorded from Suffolk, Lancashire, York, and
Durham; also from Carnarvonshire in North Wales. It is more widely spread
throughout Scotland, including the Orkneys and Shetlands, where the moths
fly in July. Only doubtfully reported from Ireland.
WATER CARPET (_Lampropteryx suffumata_).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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