THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. I7c 



ON OCHYRIA FERRUGATA, CL. 



BY LOUIS B. PROUT, F. E. S , LONDON, N. E., ENGLAND. 



I have recently been investigating the synonymy, and the natural 

 history generally, .of the two species of geometers which are frequently 

 confused under the above name,* and as Packard was not quite clear 

 about the matter, it seems desirable to call attention to the true position 

 of their American representative. In Germany there has been frequent 

 doubt whether ferrugata, Linn., and spadicearia, Bkh., were, or were 

 not, specifically identical, and Zeller, to whom Packard owed his information 

 concerning the European forms, came to the erroneous conclusion, 

 though somewhat waveringly (see Stettin E?it. Zeit. xxxviii., p. 464), that 

 they were forms of one and the same insect. He held that ferriigata, 

 CI, was really the spadicearia ioxm, femigata, Linn, the ferrugata form 

 (according to German usage), but, of course, did not touch the synonymy, 

 believing that he dealt with but one species (Stettin Ent. Zeit., xiv., 249). 

 Now, when he sent examples to Packard, he naturally sent the form which 

 is labelled as ly'^xzdX ferricgata in his collection (the darker, purple-banded 

 form =ferrugata of Linn., H.-S., etc.). This, as Packard says, agrees 

 entirely with the American speciest. and it is this of which the black- 

 banded form (var. tinidentaria of Packard) is a variety (Stettin Eiit. 

 Zeit., xlvi., 93). 



But now, turning to England, we find that the specific distinctness of 

 the two insects (now abundantly proved) has been less questioned, 

 though, unfortunately, Haworth is responsible for considerable confusion 

 of synonymy. Like Zeller, he accepted Clerck's figure {Icones, 6, 14) as 

 the lighter red species (= spadicearia, Bkh.), but knew nothing of the 

 name spadicearia, and introduced the species to British entomologists as 

 ferrugaria ; the other species, which is generally black-banded in Eng- 

 land, though in America purple-banded forms seem common also, he 

 named unidentaria. 



In brief, spadicearia, Bkh. is =^ ferrugaria. Haw., Steph., Newman?/ 

 and perhaps ^^ ferrugata, CL, though his figure is very poor; ferrugaria,^ 

 Linn., H.-S., Zeller, Packard, is ^unidentaria. Haw., but its earliest name.. 



* Some of the results of my investigations may be seen in the Enio?nologists^ 

 /record. Vol. V., p. 11 1, etc., London, 1894. 



1 1 have tested this by the material in our National Museum, and by some speci 

 mens kindly sent me by Mr. H. F. Wickham, of Iowa City. 



