Moths

Lepidoptera The Flounced Rustic Moth – Luperina Testacea Fig. 149.-The Flounced Rustic. The fore wings are greyish brown, with darker umber-brown markings. These latter are variable, but the most conspicuous is a series of dark crescent-shaped spots almost parallel with the hind margin, and immediately outside these is a series of paler crescents. The caterpillar […]

Lepidoptera The Peach Blossom Moth – Thyatira Batis Fig. 136.-The Peach Blossom. The popular name of this pretty little moth is given on account of the resemblance of the pink patches of its olive-brown fore wings to the petals of the peach flower. It is a moderately common moth, widely distributed in England and Ireland, […]

Lepidoptera The Blue-bordered Carpet Moth – Melanthia Bicolorata This same family (Larentiida) is remarkable for its large number of pretty moths, popularly known as the ‘Carpets,’ many of which are exceedingly common in our woods and gardens. Fig. 201.-The Blue-bordered Carpet. Our first example of these is the Blue-bordered, which is pretty well represented in […]

Lepidoptera Alucita Hexadactyla Moth Our last example of the Pterophori is the Twelve-plume Moth, the only British representative of the family Alucitida. Fig. 218.-Hexadactyla-Enlarged. This little insect is of a yellowish colour, with two dark bands across the fore wings; and both fore and hind wings are divided into six distinct feathers. It is a […]

Lepidoptera The Red Underwing Moth – Catocala Nupta Fig. 176.-The Red Underwing. The other three members of the family are very similar in appearance, the fore wings of all being marbled with shades of grey, relieved by touches of black and brown; and the hind wings, red or crimson, give the popular names to the […]

Lepidoptera The Yellow-horned Moth – Asphalia Flavicornis This is one of the earliest of our moths, appearing on the wing in March, when it may be attracted by means of sugar placed on the bark of the birch (Betula alba). Fig. 137.-The Yellow-horned. The wings are grey, with a decidedly greenish tinge, crossed by three […]

Lepidoptera The Twin-spot Carpet Moth – Larentia Didymata Fig. 195.-The Twin-spot Carpet. The Twin-spot Carpet is common throughout Great Britain, and the beginner is likely to meet with it in June and July during his first season. Our illustration represents the male, the fore wings of which are greyish brown, crossed by several dark lines, […]

Lepidoptera The Buff Tip Moth – Phalera Bucephala The first of our two examples of this small family is the common and destructive Buff Tip. The perfect insect is represented on Plate X, fig. 9, and is too well known to require a lengthy description. During June and July it may be seen resting on […]

Lepidoptera Family Hyberniida Moths Passing over the family Ligiida, which contains only one British moth, the Horse-chestnut, we come to the small but interesting family, Hyberniida. Of this we have six species, five of which favour us during the bleakest months of the year. Two of them visit us in October and November, and even […]

Lepidoptera The Common Emerald Moth – Hemithea Strigata Fig. 182.-The Common Emerald. One of the commonest of the Emeralds is Strigata, which may be found in June and July in all parts of England, as well as in some localities in Scotland and Ireland. Its wings are of a dull green colour, the front pair […]