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 June and July, and may be found in its haunts among the
sea wormwood, not only on the coast of Norfolk, but quite possibly, here
and there, in suitable places on the east coast from Essex to the Humber.
Caterpillars may be obtained in August and September. [Illustration]
2 Pl. 100.
1. V. PUG.
2-6. GREEN PUG, _and vars_.
7, 8. BILBERRY PUG.
[Illustration]
2 Pl. 101.
1. MAGPIE: _caterpillars and chrysalis_.
2. CLOUDED MAGPIE: _eggs, natural size and enlarged, and caterpillars_.
{239}
EDINBURGH PUG (_Eupithecia helveticaria_).
The two examples of this species on Plate 96, Figs. 3, 4, are from the
Pentland Hills, Scotland, and are referable to _anglicata_, Milliere. In
this form, which is smaller than the type, the fore wings are grey brown,
more or less tinged with reddish, and sometimes inclining to purplish; the
whitish edged dark cross lines, especially the basal first and second, are
usually distinct, and the veins are often marked with black and white. Ab.
_arceuthata_, Freyer, a paler grey form, occurs in Buckinghamshire, and has
also been reported from Surrey. The specimens from the latter county, at
least those from the Dorking district, were subsequently referred to _E.
satyrata_.
The stoutish and rather rough caterpillar is green, with three lines along
the back, the central one dark green, and the others white; a broad
yellowish stripe low down along the sides. It feeds on juniper, in June and
July, and sometimes again in September and October. The moth is out in
April, May, and June, and a second brood may appear in August and
September. The species seems to occur among juniper, in Scotland, from
Roxburghshire to Sutherland. It is local in North Lancashire, has been
reported from near Llandudno, North Wales, and, as adverted to above,
occurs in Bucks.
SATYR PUG (_Eupithecia satyrata_).
Four specimens are depicted on Plate 96. Fig. 5 represents the typical pale
brownish grey form, in which the cross lines are indistinct, and the veins
are marked with white and dusky. Fig. 6 shows the rather browner, moorland
ab. _callunaria_, Doubleday, and Figs. 7 and 8 depict two forms of the
Shetland race, known as var. _curzoni_, Gregson. A much rarer form than
{240} any of the above is the pale brownish ab. _pernotata_, Guenee
(_cauchyata_, Meyrick).
The caterpillar is greenish with a series of purplish-brown edged, dusky
green, Y-shaped marks along the back; above the yellow spiracular line is a
row of slanting purplish blotches; sometimes the general colour is paler,
and the markings on the back and sides rosy; occasionally, the whole of the
back is rosy (adapted from Crewe). It feeds on the flowers of knapweed
(_Centaurea nigra_), scabious, hawkweed (_Hieracium_), heath, sallow, etc.,
etc.: August and September.
The moth is out in May and June, and is found in woodlands, and on heaths
and moors. It is widely distributed over the British Isles.
BORDERED PUG (_Eupithecia succenturiata_).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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