Little Thorn (Epione advenaria).
This species (Plate [119], Fig. 4) is usually whitish, freckled and clouded with grey brown; cross lines rather darker. The markings may be tinged with ochreous, or with red (Sheffield).
A uniform brown-coloured specimen with white fringes has been bred (Surrey).
The caterpillar is greyish brown, minutely freckled with blackish; two white spots on front of ring 5, and two smaller
ones on 11; the rings between 5 and 11 with pale diamonds on the back, and whitish marks on the sides; head, black, white dotted. It feeds, in July and August, or even later, on dogwood, bilberry, sallow, etc. Mr. A. J. Scollick, who kindly provided the caterpillar figured on Plate [121], Fig. 3, informs me that in rearing larvæ from the egg he finds that they prefer dogwood as a pabulum, and that in the locality where he takes the moth in June there is no bilberry, but plenty of Cornus sanguinea. This local species, which is out from late May well into June, is generally associated with bilberry, but by no means confined to localities where this plant flourishes. In some of its haunts it affects bramble, and in others rose. It occurs, in woodlands, in Essex, Kent, Surrey (Leith Hill, Horsley, Chilworth, etc.), Berkshire, and Oxfordshire (near Watlington), Sussex (Abbots Wood, St. Leonards Forest, etc.), Hampshire (New Forest), Devonshire (Haldon), in the West to Shropshire, and South Wales; Derbyshire and South Yorks.
The range abroad extends to Amurland, Corea, and Japan; thus it has a more eastern distribution than either of our other species of Epione, which only reach Amurland.
Speckled Yellow (Venilia maculata).
This pretty blackish-spotted yellow species (Plate [119], Figs. 5 and 6) varies somewhat in the tint of ground colour, but more so in the number and size of the markings; occasionally some of these are united, forming bands or blotches; or they may be reduced in number and size, leading up to ab. quadrimaculata, Hatchett (Pinion-spotted Yellow), a form that used to occur rarely in the Dartford district, Kent, and of which an example is depicted on Plate [61], Fig. 2.
The caterpillar is green, with white lines and stripes; head, shining green. It feeds, in July and August, on wood sage (Teucrium), woundwort (Stachys), and dead nettle (Lamium).