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
This species (Plate 49, Figs. 1, 2) has the wings white or ochreous white,
becoming rather smoky grey on the front edge of the fore wings, and
sometimes this tinge spreads all over the wings. In well-marked specimens
there are two dark, wavy, cross-lines, a dusky central shade, and a dusky
shade-like stripe along the outer area beyond the second line; the first
line of the fore wings is often placed close to the central shade, and
sometimes it is merged in it. Not infrequently the lines are barely
traceable, but almost as often the wings appear to have a pair of lines
only, and these distinctly darker than usual.
The caterpillar is rough, long and slender; grey-brown with irregular
darker marks, a pale line along the middle of the back, and a dark cross on
the back of ring ten. The notched head is pale brown with a black V-mark.
It feeds, from July to September, on bedstraw (_Galium_), woodruff
(_Asperula_), dock, sallow, etc.
The moth is out in May and June, and often is plentiful in woods throughout
the greater part of England and Wales; in Yorkshire and northwards through
Scotland up to Moray it is rather local. In Ireland it has been found in
Wicklow and Louth, but more commonly in the south and west.
The range abroad extends to Amurland and Japan.
THE LESSER CREAM WAVE (_Acidalia_ (_Leptomeris_) _immutata_).
White, more or less tinged with ochreous or ochreous grey in the male, is
the general colour of this moth; the wings are crossed by several ochreous
lines, the third line of the fore wings and the second line of the hind
wings rather wavy. All the wings with central black dots, most distinct on
the hind pair, occasionally absent from fore wings. (Plate 49, Figs. 3
[male], 4 [female].) {125}
The long caterpillar is pale greyish-brown, with three dusky lines on the
back; the black spiracles are set in a pale stripe, and below this is a
dusky line; head small and round (Barrett). August to May. The natural food
appears to be _Valeriana officinalis_, and _Spiraea_, but it has been
reared from the egg on groundsel, knotgrass, etc., also hawthorn, and moths
obtained the same year, about September.
In the open the moth is to be found in fens, bogs, and marshy places in
fields and woods, during June and July. It is not uncommon, in suitable
spots, in most of the southern and eastern counties of England. In the
west, including Wales, and through the Midlands, it is local to Yorkshire,
but is widely distributed in the south of the latter county; it occurs,
rarely, in Durham. In Scotland it has only been definitely noted from
Arran. Widely distributed, and common, in many parts of Ireland.
Abroad, the range extends to Amurland.
THE MULLEIN WAVE (_Acidalia_ (_Leptomeris_) _marginepunctata_).
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