This extensive assemblage of moths, commonly known as noctuas, and locally as "millers," "owlets," and "buzzards," has been divided by Staudinger into five sub-families—Acronyctinæ, Trifinæ, Gonopterinæ, Quadrifinæ, and Hypeninæ. These divisions are here adopted, and the arrangement of species is adhered to pretty closely, except in the Trifinæ, where it has been considered necessary to make sundry alterations so as to fall more in line with later classification, at least so far as concerns genera.
The eggs of species in this family are round and somewhat flattened in shape, and the shell is fluted or netted. Some few examples of these have been figured.
Most of the larvæ conceal themselves during the day, in the ground, among low herbage, or in spun-together leaves, and only leave their retreat at night to feed. Most kinds change to the chrysalis state underground, but some pupate among leaves or in chinks of tree bark, etc.
With some few exceptions the moths fly only at night, by far the larger number will visit the sugar patch, and others come readily to flowers or to light.
Distribution abroad will only be referred to where this is restricted in Europe, or extends far beyond European limits.
This pretty moth has the fore wings green variegated with white stripes and black cross lines; the hind wings are greyish, marked with white at the anal angle. The spaces between the interrupted cross lines of the fore wings are often marked with black, and this is the typical form of the species; the plainer specimens—those less spotted with black—being referable to var. runica, Stephens. Stephens in 1829 notes that the species was then little known in England. It is still very local, inhabiting oak woods in Sussex (Hailsham), Hampshire (New Forest, sometimes common), Devonshire (Plymouth district), Cornwall (East Looe), Essex (Colchester), and Suffolk (Ipswich). The moth is out in June; on September 5, 1906, Mr. L. W. Newman bred a small specimen that had only been in the chrysalis seventeen days. Usually it rests by day on boughs, and sometimes on the trunks of trees (see Fig. 8, p. 9); it flies at night and then patronizes the sugar patch, but often is a late visitor. The caterpillar, which feeds upon oak in July and August, is black on the back with a yellow or whitish blotch on rings four, six, and nine; the reddish warts are crowned with tufts of brown or whitish hairs. Head black marked with yellow except on the top. It is also said to eat leaves of beech and birch. Staudinger gives alpium, Osbeck (1778), as an earlier name than orion, Esp. Hampson refers alpinum to Daseochæta, Warren.
Distribution: Central and Northern Europe, and represented by var. murrhina, Graes., in Amurland, China, and Japan.
The moth is depicted on Plate 100, Fig. 1, and the caterpillar and chrysalis on Plate 101, Figs. 2, 2a.
Usually the fore wings of this moth appear to be brownish, or reddish brown on the basal half, and whitish, more or less suffused with greyish, or sometimes reddish brown, on the outer half; the hind wings are pale brownish, or greyish, lighter towards the base. Not infrequently the fore wings are greyish white with some brownish clouding between the two blackish cross lines. The caterpillar is variable in colour, but generally of some shade of brown, ranging from dark chocolate brown to pale ochreous, covered with soft hair; the pencils of long hairs on the first ring, and the tufts of hairs on rings four, five, and eleven, may be red, greyish, or blackish; the broken stripe along the back is greyish, and the stripe low down on each side may be red, brown, or greyish. It feeds in June and July, and as a second generation in September, on the foliage of beech, birch, hazel, hornbeam, etc.: bushes growing in exposed positions such as a hedge bank or hill side are chiefly fancied. The moth flies in May and June, and again in August and September. It probably occurs in most of the English counties, but is most frequent in Berkshire, Bucks, and Devon. Not uncommon in Clydesdale, but more plentiful in Aberdeenshire, and is also obtained in Perthshire, and in other parts of Scotland. Widely distributed in Ireland.
The moth is shown on Plate 100, Fig. 2, and the early stages on Plate 101, Figs. 3, 3a, 3b.