Butterflies and Moths

Lepidoptera The Flame Shoulder Moth – Noctua Plecta Fig. 158.-The Flame Shoulder. As our example of the next genus we take the Flame Shoulder, a rather small moth, easily identified by the broad yellowish-white streak along the costa of the reddish-brown fore wings. The orbicular and reniform spots are margined with white, and a thin […]

Lepidoptera The Small Angle Shades Moth – Euplexia Lucipara This pretty little moth is represented in fig. 3 of Plate XI. It is very common throughout the country, and may be seen in June and July. The caterpillar is thickest on the twelfth segment, and gradually tapers from this towards the head. Its colour is […]

Lepidoptera The Small Phœnix Moth – Cidaria Silaceata Again passing over a few small and less important genera, we select the small Phœnix as the last example of this very extensive family. Fig. 207.-The Small Phœnix. The fore wings of this species are dark brown, paler toward the hind margin. Most of the wing rays […]

Lepidoptera Ephippiphora Cirsiana Moth This insect represents the family Grapholithida. It is a common moth, and is widely distributed. Fig. 231.-Cirsiana-Enlarged. Its fore wings are greyish brown, with a large white patch on the middle of the inner margin; and beyond this white, in the anal angle, is a pale grey patch containing three or […]

Lepidoptera Leioptilus Osteodactylus Moth This is another species of the same family. It is not uncommon, but is more local than the last. Fig. 216.-Osteodactylus. Its fore wings are pale yellow, with a small brown dot at the commencement of the dividing fissure, and a brown blotch on the costal margin nearer the tip. The […]

Lepidoptera Coleophora Ibipennella Moth Fig. 239.-Ibipennella-Enlarged. The family Coleophorida contains about seventy small moths, characterised by their very narrow and pointed wings, with long fringes, and also, generally, by a little tuft of hair on the first joint of the antenna. The larva live in little cases which they construct, and feed on various leaves […]

Lepidoptera The Riband Wave Moth – A. Aversata Fig. 184.-The Riband Wave. All the wings of this species are of a pale yellowish or ochreous grey. The fore wings are crossed by three transverse dark lines, and the hind wings by two. The space between the two outer lines of the fore wing and that […]

Lepidoptera The Scarlet Tiger Moth – Callimorpha Dominula Fig. 113.-The Scarlet Tiger. This is certainly one of the most beautiful of all our moths. Its fore wings are dark olive green, with a lovely metallic lustre, and boldly marked with large white and yellow spots. These spots are arranged generally like those in the illustration, […]

Lepidoptera The Large Yellow Underwing Moth – Triphana Pronuba This is by far the commonest moth of the genus, and may be found everywhere, in town and country, from June to August. It is represented on Plate XI (fig. 1), but its fore wings are very variable, sometimes a cold dingy grey, but often of […]

Lepidoptera Family Caberida Moths Six species, all of rather small size, constitute the British portion of the above family. Their wings are mostly white or pale grey, with light markings, and without angles. The moths are to be caught with the net at dusk, or they may be seen on fences and tree trunks during […]