Butterflies and Moths

Lepidoptera The Comma Butterfly – Vanessa C-album Leaving the Fritillaries, we now come to a genus (Vanessa) that includes seven most beautiful butterflies, some of which are so common as to be known to almost everybody. It will be observed that this genus belongs to the same family as the Fritillaries, and we may therefore […]

Lepidoptera Adela Cuprella Moth Fig. 235.-Cuprella. The family Adelida contains ten species, all remarkable for the great length of their antenna. The one selected for illustration is a beautiful little moth with bright bronzy green fore wings, tinged with a rich glossy violet. The hind wings are brown with a glossy surface. This moth does […]

Lepidoptera The Purple Emperor Butterfly – Apatura Iris This grand insect is the only British member of its family, and richly deserves its popular title. The male, which is figured on Plate V (fig. 1), exhibits a most gorgeous imperial purple, which is reflected at certain angles only from the upper surface of his large […]

Lepidoptera Family Dicranurida Moths The five British species that represent this family are such interesting insects that we should like to have given a detailed description of all of them, but our limited space will allow of no more than an outline of the general characteristics of the group and a selection of two for […]

Lepidoptera The Buff Ermine Moth – Spilosoma Lubricipeda The Cheloniida also include three moths that are popularly known as the Ermines, two of which-the Buff and the White-are exceedingly common, and are among the constant visitors to our gardens during June and July. Fig. 114.-The Buff Ermine. The Buff Ermine has all four wings of […]

Lepidoptera The Blood-vein Moth – Timandra Amataria Our last example of the Acidaliida is the Blood-vein, which is common in most parts of England in June and July. Fig. 185.-The Blood-vein. Its fore wings are pale grey, dusted with darker grey, and crossed by an oblique red streak which runs from the tip of the […]

Lepidoptera The Small Magpie Moth – Eurrhypara Urticata Fig. 211.-The Small Magpie. The family Botyda contains the moths that are popularly known as the ‘Pearls’ on account of the pearly lustre of the wings. One of its species-the Small Magpie-is shown in the accompanying illustration. Its fore wings are pearly white, with blackish hind margin, […]

Lepidoptera Tortrix Viridana Moth Fig. 225.-Viridana. In June and July this pretty but destructive little insect may be seen flying in abundance in almost every oak wood. Its fore wings are one uniform pale green with the exception of a streak of yellow along the costal margin; and, when at rest, scores may exist on […]

Lepidoptera The Goat Moth – Cossus Ligniperda There are only three British species of this family, the largest of which is the Goat Moth, so called on account of the characteristic odour of the larva, an odour said to resemble that emitted by the goat. Fig. 118.-The Goat Moth. Fig. 119.-The Larva of Ligniperda Moth […]

Lepidoptera The Oak Eggar Moth – Bombyx Quercus The male of this species is shown on Plate X (fig. 5). The female is much larger, and of a pale tawny colour. The ground colour of the caterpillar is black; but it is so closely covered with short yellowish brown hairs that the black is scarcely […]