Richard South

“ Various low-growing plants, such as plantain, dock, sorrel, and also hawthorn, sallow, and bramble, afford it nourishment, and it is found in July, August, and September.
Generally distributed throughout England and Wales, its range extending into Scotland as far north as Morayshire; also in Ireland. The var. salicis occurs northwards from Shropshire through northern England into Scotland, but is perhaps most common in Ireland. ”

“ The eggs of species in this family are round and somewhat flattened in shape, and the shell is fluted or netted. Some few examples of these have been figured.
Most of the larvæ conceal themselves during the day, in the ground, among low herbage, or in spun-together leaves, and only leave their retreat at night to feed. Most kinds change to the chrysalis state underground, but some pupate among leaves or in chinks of tree bark, etc.
With some few exceptions the moths fly only at night, by far the larger number will visit the sugar patch, and others come readily to flowers or to light. ”

“ The caterpillar is yellowish green, with a red brown stripe along the back; two small elevations on ring four, and one on ring eleven; the hairs are blackish on the back, one of each tuft longer than the others. It feeds on hawthorn in August and early September. The moth is out in July. This species is found abroad in Central Europe and Southern France ”

“ Typically the fore wings of this species are white, marbled with slaty grey, and with the stigmata dark grey (Plate 103, Figs. 9♂, 12♀) . There is less colour variation than in the last species, but in some localities greenish, ochreous, and ochreous brown forms have been obtained. The caterpillar is pale slaty grey, with an irregular yellowish stripe on the back, with black spots forming a central line; the raised spots are black and shiny, as also is the head. Feeds on lichens growing on old walls from August to May. ”

“ Not infrequently the fore wings are greyish white with some brownish clouding between the two blackish cross lines. The caterpillar is variable in colour, but generally of some shade of brown, ranging from dark chocolate brown to pale ochreous, covered with soft hair; the pencils of long hairs on the first ring, and the tufts of hairs on rings four, five, and eleven, may be red, greyish, or blackish; the broken stripe along the back is greyish, and the stripe low down on each side may be red, brown, or greyish. ”

“ This moth is somewhat like that last noticed, but the fore wings are darker grey; the whitish orbicular mark is margined with black, and has a dark central dot. Sometimes the fore wings are clouded with blackish, and occasionally entirely suffused with black. In several species of Acronycta newly disclosed specimens have a faint pinky tinge, but this is especially noticeable in the present species. (Plate 100, Fig. 6.)
The caterpillar is ochreous or grey brown, marked with blackish; a conspicuous character is a black-edged whitish or ochreous patch on ring ten ”

“ It may be found generally on walls, but sometimes on rocks at various places on the coast of Kent, Sussex, Dorset, Devon, and Cornwall; also in the Scilly Isles. Its range, according to Barrett, extends to Bath and Wells, Somersetshire, Marlborough and Chippenham in Wiltshire, and it has also occurred in Gloucestershire. ”