Volume Ii Part 47 (1/2)

RANNOCH BRINDLED BEAUTY (_Nyssia lapponaria_).

The s.e.xes of this species are shown on Plate 134, where Fig. 3 represents the male, and Fig. 5 the female. It was not known to occur in the British Isles until 1871, when a male specimen was captured in Perths.h.i.+re, on April 20 of that year. Mr. William M. Christy, in 1895, bred some moths from larvae obtained in the Highlands of Scotland, and he sent eggs to Mr. F. W.

Frohawk, who worked out the life history, and described and figured all the stages from egg to perfect insect (_Entom._ xxviii. 237). In July, 1900 and 1901, Mr. E. A. c.o.c.kayne found {298} caterpillars, in Perths.h.i.+re (Rannoch district), on ling, heath, and bog-myrtle; and in June, 1904, he published (_Entom._ x.x.xvii. 149) some interesting observations on the habits of the species in its native haunts. The greenish yellow eggs are laid in batches of 10 to 150 in the dry corollas of the cross-leaved heath, and less frequently between the stem and sheath of reeds, or in cracks in dead bracken stems, etc. The caterpillar (Plate 126, Fig. 3) is pale drab, inclining to a yellowish tint; irregular yellow stripes along the back and sides, and lines of blackish streaks between the stripes. It will eat birch, sallow, and hawthorn, in captivity; but in the open it feeds on heather and bog-myrtle: May-July. The chrysalis is reddish brown, rather paler on the wing covers (figured on Plate 126 from a photo, twice natural size, by Mr. H. Main). The moth is out in April and May, and sits on the twigs of heather and the stems of bog-myrtle. It has only been recorded from Perths.h.i.+re, and is there very local, frequenting damp places near streams.

Mr. A. W. Mera has obtained hybrids from a crossing of this species with _N. zonaria_.

BELTED BEAUTY (_Nyssia zonaria_).

Two males and a female of this species are depicted on Plate 124 (Figs. 4, 5 [male], 6 [female]). There is variation in the ground colour of the male, from white to greyish, and the markings are sometimes greyish brown and sometimes blackish. Kane states that, in Ireland, a large number of Connemara specimens have the fore wings entirely white, broken by dark veins, front margin, and three streaks parallel to the outer margin. The caterpillar is greenish, with dusky grey lines and freckles on the back, and a yellow stripe low down along the sides; the latter is edged below with blackish; the underside is black and striped with grey; head, greyish, freckled with darker. It feeds on sallow, dandelion, dock, plantain, clover, yarrow, gra.s.s, etc.: May to August. (Plate 126, Fig. 4; chrysalis, Fig. 4a; eggs, Plate 133, Fig. 4.) The moth is out in March and April, and rests by day on or among herbage. The male has been known to fly in the suns.h.i.+ne, but its more usual time of flight is the early evening.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

2 Pl. 126.

1. PALE BRINDLED BEAUTY: _caterpillar_.

2. SMALL BRINDLED BEAUTY: _caterpillar_.

3, 3a, 3b. RANNOCH BRINDLED BEAUTY: _egg, natural size enlarged.

caterpillar and chrysalis_.

4, 4a. BELTED BEAUTY: _caterpillar and chrysalis_.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

2 Pl. 127.

1-3. OAK BEAUTY.

{299} The species is locally common on sand hills, on the coast of Ches.h.i.+re, Flints.h.i.+re, and Carnarvon; Wallasey is a noted locality, and the earliest British specimens were taken in that district about 1832; it also occurs on the Lancas.h.i.+re coast, in the Liverpool and Blackpool districts.

In Ireland, it was first noted in Co. Antrim, where caterpillars were found at Ballycastle, and about twenty-two years ago moths were captured at the same place. Other Irish localities are Achill Island, off the coast of Mayo; Slyne Head and Roundstone, Connemara coast. There are records of its occurrence in the Isles of Skye and Tiree.

BRINDLED BEAUTY (_Lycia hirtaria_).

A male and a female are shown on Plate 124 (Figs. 7 [male], 8 [female]), and these represent the more usual form of the s.e.xes in the London district. Some specimens are paler, others are darker; and not infrequently the wings are sprinkled with yellowish.

On Plate 1 (Figs. 4, 6, 8) will be found figures of a female and two male examples of a large race taken by Mr. H. McArthur this season (1908) at Aviemore, in Scotland. One of these males is of a remarkable ochreous coloration, whilst in the other the contrast of grey ground and black marking is equally striking. The female is blackish sprinkled with ochreous.

The caterpillar is purplish grey or reddish brown clouded and freckled with darker, and spotted with yellow on rings 5-8; the first ring is also marked with yellow in front, the head is freckled with black, and about the jaws with yellow. It feeds on lime, elm, willow, and fruit trees, especially plum and pear, {300} in May, June, and July. For the example figured on Plate 128, Fig. 1, I am indebted to Mr. Norman Riley; an Aviemore example is shown in colour on Plate 1, Fig. 7. The chrysalis (Plate 128, Fig. 1a) is dark reddish brown inclining to blackish. The moth comes out in March and April and is often a common object on tree-trunks, etc., in the London parks, squares, and gardens. Its range extends over the south of England, and northwards to Yorks.h.i.+re and c.u.mberland, but it is nowhere so plentiful in England as throughout the Metropolitan area. It occurs in Wales, in Ireland, and in Scotland up to Inverness.

OAK BEAUTY (_Pachys_ (_Amphidasys_) _strataria_).

The fore wings of this species (Plate 127, Figs. 1-3) are white, sprinkled and cross lined with black; the first line is bordered inwardly, and the second line outwardly with brownish; frequently these two lines fall closely together on the inner margin, and sometimes they are united by a blackish blotch at this point; the brownish borders of the lines vary in width, and in some specimens the outer area beyond the second black line is almost entirely brownish; in other specimens the central and outer areas are almost free of black speckling, and in such examples the brownish borders of the lines stand out conspicuously. The caterpillar (Plate 128, Fig. 2) is usually some shade of brown--greyish, violet, or purplish--mottled and freckled with a darker hue. It feeds on oak, birch, and elm, will also eat sloe, plum, rose, etc., and is found from May to July. In confinement, larvae hatched in early May have gone down to pupate during the second week in June.

The moth is out in March and April as a rule, but has been noted in late February, and also in early May. It may be seen resting during the day on trunks of trees, palings, etc., generally near the ground; when on the wing at night the male will come to light. Although not generally common it is widely distributed over England and Wales. In Ireland it has occurred in Wicklow, Westmeath, and Cork, and has been reared from pupae obtained at Glenmalure in the former county.

Hybrids resulting from a cross between _strataria_ [male] and _betularia_ [female] have been named _herefordi_, Tutt.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

2 Pl. 128.

1. BRINDLED BEAUTY: _caterpillar and chrysalis_.

2. OAK BEAUTY: _eggs, natural size and enlarged, and caterpillar_.