Volume 33, Plate XIX / Entomology (Insects)

Arctia Hebe, Spilosoma arge & S. Virgo

1. Arctia Hebe. A handsome European Tiger moth two inches and a quarter across, the anterior wings deep black with five irregular white bars joined by a longitudinal one, the posterior wings deep red with abbreviated black fasciae. The head and thorax are black with a bright red collar, the abdomen red with a black dentate dorsal band; its black hairy caterpillar feeds on dandelion, millefoil, and other common plants, the moth most plentiful in southern Europe.
2. Spilosoma arge. An exceedingly variable American Ermine moth, the upper wings and thorax cream-colour or delicate pink variegated with black lines and angular spots, the hind wings cream or red-tinged with oblong black spots and a fulvous marginal line. The neck is red, the abdomen bears three rows of black spots, and the dark brown caterpillar with five pale stripes and tufts of brown hair prefers plantain, Indian corn, and pease.
3. Spilosoma Virgo. A handsome moth with ferruginous antennae and a cream or fulvous thorax bearing three black stripes, the anterior wings black with many cream stripes dividing the ground into triangular and linear spots, the hind wings reddish-yellow with large angular black spots. The abdomen is fulvous with a black central band; the brown caterpillar bears yellow hair-tufted tubercles and feeds on several mimosas and other plants, this being not a common kind.