Richard South

Name: The Moths of the British Isles — Lasiocampidæ
Author: Richard South

The Moths of the British Isles… (1920)

Summary

“The Moths of the British Isles — Lasiocampidæ”, published in 1920, is a work by Richard South. It explores elements such as caterpillar, moth and fore wings.

Quotes from The Moths of the British Isles… (Richard South)

Richard South, The Moths of the British Isles… (1920)

“ It is enclosed in a long, grey-brown, tight-fitting cocoon of silk and hairs of the caterpillar, which is generally spun up among the lower twigs, or to the stem of the food plant.
The moth emerges in June or July, and is on the wing at night, when it may be sometimes netted as it flies along or over hedgerows. When caught in this way it dashes about so wildly in the net that it is rarely of much value for the collection. The same may be said of examples taken by light, which at times attracts the moths freely. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Richard South, The Moths of the British Isles… (1920)

“ The eggs, which are whitish in colour with greyish markings, are laid, in July or early August, in twos, threes, or more, on twigs or the undersides of leaves of sloe, apple, sallow, hawthorn, etc. A single female moth has been known to lay over a thousand eggs, but this is perhaps exceptional, and somewhere about half that number is possibly near the average. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Richard South, The Moths of the British Isles… (1920)

“ The caterpillar is black or greyish black, with reddish brown hairs, and a series of black-edged yellowish brown, or reddish brown blotches on each side of the back; these blotches are outlined in pale yellowish and occasionally connected by a line of the same colour. From the time they are hatched until nearly mature the caterpillars live in companies on a closely woven web of silk on a branch of hawthorn or sloe, only leaving their habitation to feed. These webs may often be seen on hedgerows from May to July. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Richard South, The Moths of the British Isles… (1920)

“ Reared females are apt to be deformed, but for "assembling" they may probably be as useful as more perfect examples if the rearer happens to be able to exhibit the attraction in a locality for the species. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Richard South, The Moths of the British Isles… (1920)

“ Subsequently the female flies over the heather, dropping her eggs at random as she flies, and the eggs, having no glutinous covering, do not adhere to any object which they may accidentally touch in falling. On emergence from the egg the young caterpillar is dark ash-coloured, the divisions between the rings of the body being indicated by two minute orange streaks, each of which is accompanied by a small black spot. After the first moult the ground colour becomes more smoky, the divisions velvety black, and on each ring a triangular orange spot appears ”

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Source: Wikisource

Richard South, The Moths of the British Isles… (1920)

“ The claim of this species to a place in the British list rests chiefly on a specimen captured in the Norwich Hospital, in July, 1809, by Mr. Sparshall. Wilkes (1773) states that he once found a caterpillar near Richmond Park, but the moth was not reared. For generations the species now classified as Lasiocampidæ have been referred to Bombycidæ, but the silkworm (Bombyx mori) is typical of that family, which has but few genera in it, and none of them occur in Europe. Although some of the moths are of considerable size, most of them are not large. The general colour is some shade of brown. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Richard South, The Moths of the British Isles… (1920)

“ The male flies rapidly over the heather by day at the latter end of May or beginning of June; its flight is jerking or zigzag, and its object is evidently to find the female, who rarely moves until impregnation has taken place. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Richard South, The Moths of the British Isles… (1920)

“ This also is a variable species. Most frequently the fore wings of the male are pale buff, cross lined, and more or less clouded with brown; hind wings brown. The female has all the wings reddish brown, the front pair being crossed by two pale buff lines. The fringes are pale buff, chequered with brown in both sexes. Colour and marking are, however, subject to considerable variation. Sometimes all the wings are pale buff (male) , or reddish brown (both sexes) , and the fore wings without marking. The cross lines on fore wings of the female may be either very slender or very broad ”

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Source: Wikisource

Richard South, The Moths of the British Isles… (1920)

“ The moth is on the wing in July and August, but it is rarely seen in the daytime, and not often at night, except when attracted by light into the house, or to the gas or electric lamps. It is exceedingly easy to rear, either from eggs or from collected caterpillars ”

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Source: Wikisource

Richard South, The Moths of the British Isles… (1920)

“ It occurs through Scotland to Sutherland, but is nowhere common. In Ireland it is widely distributed, and not uncommon near Dublin, and at Favour Royal, Tyrone. Abroad it ranges through Northern and Central Europe. ”

Richard South

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