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, which is out in June and July, dashes about rapidly in the
daytime, and as it is partial to the flowers of the bugloss, or those of
clover, etc., it may be netted when feasting on the blossoms. It occurs in
meadows, on heaths, and on sandhills by the sea, in most of the southern
and eastern counties of England, but is only rarely seen northwards, and
has not been recorded from other parts of the British Isles.
Distribution abroad: the whole Palaearctic region less the extreme north;
also represented in North America by _phlogophagus_, Grote and Robinson.
THE SPOTTED CLOVER MOTH (_Heliothis scutosa_).
The very distinct-looking moth shown on Plate 19, Fig. 3, is exceedingly
rare in Britain, only about eleven specimens being authenticated. The
earliest-known British specimen was captured in a locality near Dalston, in
Cumberland, July, 1835. The next record is of three examples near
Skinburnness, also in Cumberland. Then, in 1875, one occurred in Norfolk,
at the Cromer lighthouse, and this was followed by another in 1876. In 1877
one was captured as it flew over clover at Weston-super-Mare. On September
19, 1878, a specimen was netted at {50} the flowers of ragwort on the shore
of Lough Swilly, near Buncrana, Ireland, and one is recorded as taken near
Aberdeen, Scotland, in July of that year. The late Dr. Mason had a specimen
said to have been taken at Attleborough, in Norfolk, June, 1880. The latest
recorded capture is that of a specimen taken by Mr. F. Capel Hanbury in a
clover field near Dartmouth, South Devon, September 4, 1900.
The range abroad extends through Central and Southern Europe eastward to
North India, North China; and southwards to North-west Africa. It occurs
also in the Western United States of America.
THE BORDERED STRAW (_Heliothis peltigera_).
Two examples of this species are shown on Plate 19, Figs. 4, 5. The fore
wings are pale ochreous brown, with a more or less reddish tinge; the cross
lines are not always distinct, but there is generally a dark dot on the
costal end of the first line, and a large olive-brown spot between the
second and submarginal lines; following the submarginal line is a pale band
of variable width, but always with a black dot (sometimes double) towards
its lower end. Very pale specimens are referable to ab. _pallida_,
Cockerell.
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