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
{107} The Rev. F. E. Lowe states that in Guernsey the species occurs
exclusively among furze on cliffs by the sea, and chiefly where the plant
is cut down from time to time. In Britain it inhabits heaths and mosses,
but is very local. It is found in the English counties of Hants (New
Forest, etc.), Dorset (Poole Heath, etc.), Devon (Woodbury, Exeter
district, etc.), Norfolk (Horning), Worcester (Malvern district, rare);
also at Methop, Witherslack, and other localities in Westmoreland and
Cumberland. Only doubtfully recorded from Scotland and Ireland.
Abroad, the range extends to Amurland, Corea, and China.
THE LITTLE EMERALD (_Iodis lactearia_).
The green tint in this species (Plate 43, Figs. 4 and 7) is even more
unstable than in others of the group. When quite fresh the wings can often
only be described as whitish with a delicate green tinge, but even when the
greatest care is taken to preserve it, the colour is apt to fade.
The caterpillar (Plate 44, Fig. 2, from a coloured drawing by Mr. A. Sich)
is long and thin, with two points on the edge of the first ring, and one on
the last ring, of a bright green colour, paler between the rings; the spots
along the back are reddish, as also is the whitish-fronted deeply notched
head. It feeds on the leaves of various trees and bushes, such as birch,
oak, hawthorn, sallow, etc. It may be obtained by beating or searching from
August to September.
The moth is out in May and June, in some seasons later, and may be beaten
out of hedges, as well as from trees in woods. Generally distributed, and
often common, throughout England, Wales, and Ireland. In Scotland it is
locally common in Clydesdale, and occurs in other southern parts of that
country.
Abroad, the range extends to Amurland, Corea, China, and Japan.
THE COMMON EMERALD (_Hemithea strigata_).
When freshly emerged from the chrysalis, this species (Plate 43, Figs. 8
and 9) is darkish green, but it soon fades to a greyish {108} tint. Easily
distinguished by its shape, and by the chequered fringes. It is the
_aestivaria_ of Hubner, and _thymiaria_ of Guenee. The long, thin, green
caterpillar is ornamented with reddish brown, the V-shaped marks on rings 5
to 8 are sometimes whitish; head, deeply notched, brown; the first ring of
the body is also notched. It hatches from the egg in August, when it is
said to feed on mugwort (_Artemisia vulgaris_), and other low plants; after
hibernation it feeds on the foliage of oak, birch, hawthorn, rose, etc.,
and attains full growth in May or June. In late June and in July the moth
may be put up from the undergrowth in woods, or from bushes in
well-timbered hedgerows bordering lanes and fields. Specimens so obtained
are poor in colour as a rule, and it is well, therefore, to rear the
species from the caterpillar. (Plate 41, Fig. 3; after Hofmann.) This
remark applies to all "Emeralds."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account