The Cheloniidæ also include three moths that are popularly known as the Ermines, two of which—the Buff and the White—are exceedingly common, and are among the constant visitors to our gardens during June and July.
The Buff Ermine has all four wings of a buff or ochreous tint, and spotted with black as here represented.
The caterpillar is whitish, with a white line down the middle of the back, and its body is covered with long light brown hairs. It feeds on the dock (Rumex) and many other low-growing plants during August and September, and spends the winter in the chrysalis state, lying within a loose cocoon on the surface of the ground.
The White Ermine (Spilosoma Menthastri)
In this species the wings are of a pale cream colour, and the dots of the fore wings are more uniformly distributed than in the last. Its habits and life history closely correspond with
those of Lubricipeda, and its larva may be found feeding on the same plants.