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
WELSH CLEARWING (_Sesia scoliaeformis_).
As a British species this insect was first noted from Llangollen, in North
Wales, somewhere about fifty years ago. In 1867 it was found to inhabit
birch woods in the Rannoch district of Scotland, and later on its presence
was detected in Sutherlandshire. It has been recorded from Hereford; one
example was reported from Wiltshire in 1857; and two from Delamere Forest,
Cheshire (1901 and 1905). Kane (_Catalogue of the Lepidoptera of Ireland_)
states that moths have been taken at Killarney, and caterpillars obtained
in the same district, and also at Kenmare.
The caterpillar (Plate 156, Fig. 3; after Hofmann) feeds on the inner layer
of bark of large birch trees, and is full grown about May. It turns to a
dark brownish chrysalis, in a cocoon formed close up to the bark, which
thinly covers the outer end of the burrow. The moth flies in June or
sometimes July. It {353} is of comparatively large size, and may be
distinguished from the next species by the yellow belts on its body, and
the chestnut coloured tuft at the tail. (Plate 154, Fig. 2.)
WHITE-BARRED CLEARWING (_Sesia spheciformis_).
Although generally smaller, some specimens run very close to the last
species in size. It may be distinguished by the single belt on the body and
the black tail (Plate 154, Fig. 3). One of the best known localities for
the species in England is Tilgate Forest, in Sussex; but it also occurs in
Hampshire (Basingstoke), Hereford (Tarrington), Worcestershire (Wyre
Forest), Staffordshire (Burnt Wood), Cheshire (one, Delamere Forest, 1901),
Denbighshire (Llangollen), Lancashire (Chat Moss), and Yorkshire (Bishop's
Wood, 1894).
The caterpillar feeds in stems of alder, and is full grown in May of the
third year after hatching from the egg. It is said that the chrysalis may
sometimes be found by bending and twisting the stems of alder, so as to
cause the thin skin of bark over the exit hole of the burrow to crack, and
so disclose its whereabouts. The burrow is generally low down the stem. The
moth is out in June and early July, and is sometimes to be seen on sunny
mornings at rest on alder leaves, or flying over and around the bushes.
ORANGE-TAILED CLEARWING (_Sesia andrenaeformis_).
Although known to be a British species since 1829, when a specimen was
taken in a wood near Greenhithe, Kent, this insect continued to be very
rare until quite recently. For a long time the caterpillar was supposed to
feed in the stems of dogwood, but it is now known to live in the stems of
the wayfaring tree (_Viburnum lantana_), and several specimens of the moth
{354} have been reared during the past year or two. Unfortunately the
caterpillar is much infested by parasites, and comparatively few escape
attack. Notes on the life history of this moth, by the Hon. N. Charles
Rothschild, Mr. Eustace Bankes, and Dr. Chapman, are published in the
_Transactions of the Entomological Society of London_ for 1906 (Part IV.,
pp. 471-482).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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