if the weather is favourable; it is early on the wing again in the spring.
Although apparently uncommon in some few parts, the species seems to be generally distributed and plentiful throughout England, Wales, Scotland up to Ross (recorded from Stromma, Orkney), and Ireland.
In Japan, a greyish form with larger spots (ab. tripuncta, Butler) occurs.
The Tawny Pinion (Lithophane (Xylina) semibrunnea).
An example of this species is represented on Plate [12], Fig. 4. The black streak from above the middle of the inner margin towards the hind margin should be noted, as this character distinguishes semibrunnea from dark forms of the following species—L. socia.
The caterpillar is yellowish green, with a broad creamy stripe along the middle of the back, and two indistinct fine lines on each side; below the black-outlined white spiracles is a yellow stripe. Head, bluish green, freckled with darker green. It feeds on ash in May and June.
The moth appears on the wing, and may be seen at ivy bloom and sugar, from September to November, and is sometimes captured at sallow, after hibernation, in March or April.
It is on record that two specimens taken in November were kept in confinement, and three other captives were added in February. All continued to live until June, and two were still alive on the 23rd of that month.
Although this species is found more or less regularly in most of the English counties south of Worcester on the west, and Huntingdon on the east, it is always very local, and never plentiful. It has been reported from Carmarthenshire in South Wales; and Kane states that in Ireland it has been taken in Galway and Kerry.