Butterflies and Moths

Lepidoptera The Red Admiral Butterfly – Vanessa Atalanta There seems to be a tendency with many to under-estimate the beauty of certain natural objects because they happen to be so very common, and this is particularly the case with some of our most familiar butterflies. The beautiful Red Admiral (Plate IV, fig. 3) may possibly […]

Lepidoptera The Emperor Moth – Saturnia Pavonia Here is another family with but one British member; but in this, as in the last case, the only representative is a really beautiful insect. The male Pavonia is shown on Plate X (fig. 8), and will need no written description as an aid to its identification. The […]

Lepidoptera The Mottled Umber Moth – Hybernia Defoliaria This very pretty moth is represented in fig. 8 of Plate XII. It is very common in most parts, and visits us at the fall of the leaf, generally appearing in October, and remaining on the wing till November. Our illustration gives the usual appearance of the […]

Lepidoptera The Black Hairstreak, Or White-letter Hairstreak Butterfly – Thecla W-album Fig. 84.-The White-letter Hairstreak. The first of the above two popular names has been applied to this species on account of the very deep brown colour of the upper side, which colour is often a near approach to black. The second is due to […]

Lepidoptera The Herald Moth – Gonoptera Libatrix The above-mentioned family is so called on account of the angular margins of the wings, especially the fore pair. It contains only one British species, the Herald (Plate XII, fig. 1), a moth that is common everywhere in August and September. It hybernates in the perfect state, and […]

Lepidoptera The Large Skipper Butterfly – Hesperia Sylvanus During May, June, and August this butterfly may be seen on grassy banks in nearly every part of England, as well as in certain localities of Scotland and Ireland. The wings are all of a bright orange-brown colour, with a narrow black border, inside which is a […]

Lepidoptera The Spurge Hawk Moth – Deilephila Euphorbia This is a very rare British species; in fact, it has never been seen in this country in its perfect state, but the larva has been found plentifully at Appledore and Braunton Burrows, in North Devon, feeding on the sea spurge (Euphorbia Paralias). The perfect insect is […]

Lepidoptera The Bullrush Moth – Nonagria Arundinis Our last example of this family is the Bullrush, a moth that is common in all parts where its food plant abounds. Fig. 145.-The Bullrush. It is much larger than the two preceding species. The fore wings are yellowish brown, with three parallel transverse lines of black spots. […]

Lepidoptera The Garden Pebble Moth – Pionea Forficalis The same family contains also the Garden Pebble, which is one of the commonest frequenters of gardens, both in town and country. Fig. 213.-The Garden Pebble. The fore wings are pale yellowish grey with brown markings. The latter include a fine line from the tip to the […]

Lepidoptera The Peppered Moth – Amphidasys Betularia Fig. 179.-The Peppered Moth. Although this common species displays no bright tints, yet it is prettily marked, its whitish wings being peppered and blotched all over with black or very dark brown. It flies in May and June, later than any other species of the family, and may […]