The fore wings are white, clouded and suffused with dark grey on all the margins. The greyish clouding sometimes covers the whole area of the wings, except a very limited space under the black discal spot (ab. disparata, Hübner). Plate [97], Figs. 2, a specimen from Lancs., 5, one from Surrey.
The caterpillar is reddish brown, paler in some specimens than in others; a series of blackish spear-head marks along the back, connected by a blackish line, and a dusky line on each side; a whitish line along the spiracles. It feeds, in September and October, on mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), tansy (Tanacetum vulgare), and yarrow (Achillea). It may be reared on garden Chrysanthemum. Chrysalis, dark buff, inclining to brown; wing cases olive green; figure 7 on Plate [92] is from a photo by Mr. Main, and is enlarged to twice the natural size.
The moth is out in July and early August; it is not readily put up from its hiding-place among herbage, but at night, when on the wing, it will come to light.
The species is most frequent, perhaps, on the coast, but it is widely distributed over England and Wales. Rare in Ireland, and only noted from counties Armagh, Louth, and Dublin; Kane states that he met with it in some numbers on Lambay Island. Once reported from Ayrshire, Scotland.
The Surrey specimen (Fig. 5) appears to be referable to exalbidata, Staudinger, a form occurring chiefly in Asia, but occasionally found in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.
Tawny Speckled Pug (Eupithecia subfulvata).
Two forms of this species are shown on Plate [97]. Fig. 8 represents the reddish typical form, and Fig. 11 (from Lancs. coast) the dark ab. oxydata, Treitschke. Between these two extremes, there are various intermediate forms, showing more or less distinct cross lines.
The caterpillar is reddish brown, with a chain of oval, olive-brown spots along the back; there are also two brownish interrupted lines; the spiracular line is white. Sometimes the general colour is ochreous brown, or grey brown. It feeds, in September and October, on yarrow, and will thrive on tansy, and the flowers of garden chrysanthemum.
The chrysalis of this species is said to differ from that of E. succenturiata in being of a rich red colour, inclining to buff on the wing cases.