BRITISH AND EUROPEAN BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. 



2og 



Genus Pachycnemia, Steph. 



Middle-sized silvery grey moths with almost 

 oval, strongly ribbed wings, the abdomen pro- 

 jecting bej'ond the anal angle, and setiform 

 antennae, thicklj' and shortly ciliated in the 

 males. Palpi erect and prominent. Proboscis 

 strong and spiral. Hind tibiag thickened, 

 twice as long as the femora, with two pairs 

 of spurs. Discoidal cell two-thirds of the 

 length of the wings. The transverse nervure 

 is curved inwards; nervures 3 and 4, and 6 

 and 7 are separate. Nervure 8 of the fore 

 wings rises from 7; 9 from 8; 10 rises near 7 

 and touches the stalk of 8 and 9; 11 and 12 

 are side by side but do not touch. Nervure 

 I a of the hind wings runs into the anal angle, 

 lb is remote from it, 5 is very slender and 8 

 is free and rises from the base. The only 

 species is: — 



P. hippocastanaria, Hubn. The Horse- 

 chestnut Moth. This is grey, with two indistinct 

 zigzag transverse lines on the fore wings, a 

 central shade, and a central spot. The ner- 

 vures are partly black as far as the marginal 

 area and there is a black dotted marginal line 

 between them. Hind wings without markings, 

 somewhat lighter than the fore wings, with 

 a slightly darker marginal line. It is local in 

 Central Europe from April to July and is 

 found on the heaths of Surrey, Sussex and 

 Hampshire. The larva is brown or grey, 

 spotted with whitish, and feeds on heath in 

 Autumn. 



Genus Gnophos, Treit. 



Large and middle-sized grey moths, with 

 slender nervures on the wings, rounded hind 

 margins, which are waved and distinctly con- 

 tracted at nervure 5 of the hind wings. There 

 are two zigzag transverse lines on the fore 

 wings, the posterior of which is formed of 

 small crescents; they are continued on the 

 hind wings, and there is an almost obliterated 

 submarginal line. The fringes are unicolorous, 

 and there is a central spot on all the wings. 

 Palpi somewhat erect, slightly visible above. 

 Proboscis long and spiral. Hind tibiae globu- 

 larly thickened and with two pairs of spurs, 

 except in serotinaria. The arrangement of the 

 nervures is as in Boaria with slight variations. 

 Most of the species inhabit the Alps; they 



frequent shady places and are fond of resting 

 on cliffs, in dark woods, etc. 



G. dumetata, Treit. is light brown, palest 

 on the costa, on which are three dark spots, 

 which form the commencement of the two 

 transverse lines (which are composed of dots 

 on the nervures) and of the central shade, 

 which is indistinct on the inner side and covers 

 the central spot in front. The posterior trans- 

 verse line is suffused with lighter on the hind 

 margins; and is bounded by the dark band- 

 like hind margin ; there is no submarginal 

 line. Hind wings with the two posterior shaded 

 stripes, the central dot and central shade nearer 

 to the base. It is found in the South East 

 of Europe and in the South of France in June. 

 The larva is rose-coloured with black dots and 

 streak's, and feeds on Philera latifolia. 



G. furvata, W. V. is brownish grey. Fore 

 wings with a dark central band, and a central 

 spot, which has often a white nucleus; these 

 are boimded by two dark transverse lines. In 

 the place of the submarginal line there are a 

 few light spots. Hind wings with a central 

 dot representing the posterior transverse line, 

 and the ground colour from here to the base 

 darker. Hind tibiae with a tuft in the male, 

 resting in a groove. It is common in South- 

 Central Europe, especially the Alps, in June 

 and July. The larva is brown, and resembles 

 a dried twig. It is without markings. It 

 lives on various low plants. The pupa is 

 reddish brown with a small terminal point. 

 It is placed in the ground without a cocoon. 



G. obscuraria, Hiibn. The Dark Annulet 

 varies from light brownish grey to blackish 

 brown, the dark parts with single patches 

 dusted with yellow, especially on the nervures 

 and on the costa of the fore wings, which, 

 like the hind wings, are obtusely dentated. 

 The fore wings have two, the hind wings only 

 one posterior sharply zigzag transverse line 

 and an orbicular central spot. The marginal 

 line is formed of crescents between the ner- 

 vures, which are filled up with white in the 

 dark patches near the hind margin. It is 

 common throughout Europe in July and August. 

 The larva is brownish violet, whitish beneath, 

 with a broad brownish dorsal line on the first 

 three segments behind the head and yellowish 

 oblique streaks on each of the others. There 



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