Butterflies and Moths

Lepidoptera Aciptilia Pentadactyla Moth Fig. 217.-Pentadactyla. The fore wings of this species are white, frequently with a few greyish scales, and are deeply divided into two feathery plumes. The hind wings are pure white, and consist of three plumes. This pretty insect is common and widely distributed, and flies during June and July. The caterpillar […]

Lepidoptera The Maiden’s Blush Moth – Zonosoma Punctaria The family Ephyrida contains only six British species, chiefly remarkable for the fact that their pupa generally resemble those of butterflies. We choose for our example the pretty little Maiden’s Blush, so called on account of the soft reddish patch on the middle of each fore wing. […]

Lepidoptera The Mother Shipton Moth – Euclidia Mi Passing over a few small and less important families, we come to the Euclidiida, which contains only two British moths. One of these is the Mother Shipton, a very common insect that flies in June. The fore wings of this species are very dark brown with whitish […]

Lepidoptera The New Small Skipper Butterfly – Hesperia Lineola A few years since (1888) a butterfly was taken in one of our south-eastern counties that closely resembled the well-known Thaumas (or Linea), but which turned out to be a species not previously known in Britain. When, however, the distinguishing features of the new butterfly were […]

Lepidoptera Facts Collecting Butterfly And Moth Ova The collection of ova may be carried on more or less throughout the year. A number of moths are out in February, and even in January if the weather is mild. These soon lay their eggs, which are hatched about the time that the buds of the food […]

Lepidoptera The Eyed Hawk Moth – Smerinthus Ocellatus Our next genus (Smerinthus) contains three well-known moths, all of which have the hind margin of the fore wings angulated or indented. The first is the Eyed Hawk, represented in fig. 4 of Plate IX and named after the beautiful and conspicuous eye-like spot near the anal […]

Lepidoptera The Black-veined White Butterfly – Aporia Cratagi This butterfly may now be regarded as one of our rarities. At one time it was rather abundant in certain localities in England, among which may be mentioned the neighbourhoods of Cardiff and Stroud, also parts of Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Huntingdonshire, and the Isle of Thanet; but […]

Lepidoptera The Cinnabar Moth – Euchelia Jacobaa The family Eucheliida contains only four British species, two of which must receive a share of our attention. The first of these is the Cinnabar Moth, which is common in all localities where its food plants-the groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) and the ragwort (S. Jacobaa)-abound. Fig. 112.-The Larva of […]

Lepidoptera The Pink-barred Sallow Moth – Xanthia Flavago This moth is not nearly so common as the preceding species, but has been taken more or less in all parts of England. Fig. 165.-The Pink-barred Sallow. Its fore wings are orange yellow, with purplish markings arranged as represented in fig. 165. The hind wings are yellowish […]

Lepidoptera The August Thorn Moth – Eugonia Quercinaria Fig. 178.-The August Thorn. Our last example of this family is the August Thorn, represented in the accompanying woodcut. The fore wings are ochreous yellow, crossed by two nearly parallel lines of dark brown. In order to distinguish between this and one or two similar species it […]