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ON SOME NEW OE RARE ORIENTAL LITHOSIINAE. 



By the HON. WALTER ROTHSCHILD, Ph.D., and KARL JORDAN, Ph.D. 



IN tbe fine collections of Lepidoptera receiitl}' made by Mr. A. S. Meek and his 

 assistants, are quite a nnmber of new Lithosiinac. When descrihing some of 

 those which were represented by a longer series of individuals, we compared the 

 material already contained in the Tring Museum of several of the respective genera 

 with Sir George Hampson's Lepidoptera Phalaenae II., in order to get a rough 

 idea, how the number of species known of these small insects, w^hich the ordinary 

 collector in the tropics generally neglects, will increase when the tropical countries 

 become more exhaustively explored. We give the figures of the following 

 four genera : — 



Tricliocerosia in Hampson's Lrp. Phal. : 1 form, in Mus. Tring 4 



Trickolepis „ ,, 1 ,, ,, •"> 



Zygaenopsis ,, ,, 3 ,, ,,17 



Caprimima (typ. group) „ 6 „ „ Vi 



4 genera „ „ 11 „ „ 38 



We add that we have all the forms of these genera described in Lep. Phal. 

 It was very interesting to us to find also here that there is sexual dimorphism in the 

 neuration quite apart from the distortion of the venation occasioned by the develop- 

 ment of scent-organs (see Trichocherosia , below), and to meet frequently individuals 

 with abnormal neuration. The distal veins are often inconstant in their relative 

 position, a phenomenon observed abundantly also among the Chalcosiiime. 



1. Clerckia omissa sp. nov. 



? . Prothorax, mesothoracic tegula, frontal surface of forecoxa and tip of 



abdomen flame scarlet, rest of body bluish black. Wings, above. Forewing : a 



large orange patch from near base to end of cell, scarlet in front, expanding between 

 inner and costal margins, not reaching tlie latter — the black costal border broader 

 in basal third of wing ; the area includes a black snbbasal patch, situated behind 

 cell, not extended to inner margin ; the outer edge of the area feebly biconvex 

 between C and M', then receding basad, reaching inner margin beyond middle, the 

 black outer area thus being almost of tlie same width from costal to inner margin. 



Hindwing orange, with a black distal liorder, which is 4 ram. broad in front 



and narrows strongly anad. 



Underside as above, with both wings scarlet at costal margins ; forewing witliout 

 black sulibiisal i>atch, base of liindwing very narrowly black. 



llab. Guadalcanar, Solomon Islands (Woodford), 1 ?. 



Easily distinguished from the forms of /"wfow by the broad bliick apical area 

 of the forewing and the red amis ; from securizonis by thelcollar being rod and tlin 

 orange hindwing not being black at base. 



