Zooloff!/.] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. [Insects. 



Plate 1'J7. 



CHELEPTERYX COLLESI (Gray). 



[Genus CHELEPTERYX (Gray) =r MEGETHNA (Walk.). (Sub-kingdom Articulata. 

 Class Insecta. Order Lepidoptera. Section Heterocera. Tribe Bombyces. Family Liparidae.) 



Ge7i. Char. — Male: Body yery tliick. Antennae much longer than thorax, slender; 

 bipectinate in both sexes ; the incurved pectens deflexed, of the male long, of the female much 

 shorter. Proboscis or maxillEe obsolete. Palpi stout, short, porrect, hairy, and obtuse ; first 

 joint very short, third joint minute, conical. Head, thorax, and abdomen and base of wings pilose, 

 thickly clothed with long fine hairs, longest at tip of abdomen. Abdomen as long as hind wings, 

 Wings long, broad, entire ; anterior ones subtriangular ; anterior margin much longer than the 

 others, straight near base, gently convex on distal half ; outer margin oblique in males, concave 

 in the middle ; in females nearly straight, inner angle much rounded, tips nearly rectangular, 

 rounded ; posterior wings with anterior margin reaching considerably beyond the posterior 

 portion of anterior wings, posterior edge rounded, but concave near falcate apex ; surface of 

 wings covered with hairy scales, slightly diaphanous and with two clear spots near apex of 

 anterior pair ; discoidal cell of posterior wings closed. Legs stout, femora densely furred, 

 anterior tibise tufted below ; long slender spines at apex of four posterior tibiaa, two on second 

 pair, four on hind pair. Female: Size much larger than male. Palpi more slender than in 

 male, third joint elongate, about half the length of second. Antennse bipectinate, but pectens 

 much shorter than in male. Larva with sixteen legs, and rows of tubercles set with long 

 stinging hairs. Pupce in cocoon. Australia.] 



Description. — Male: Usual width of Victorian specimen from tip to tip of 

 expanded wing-s, 5 inches 8 lines. Base, anterior margin, and posterior angie 

 greyish brown, upper portion of outer margin dark brown, middle portion of wing 

 reddish chesnut brown ; a branched pair of narrow, undulating, blackish-brown 

 streaks uniting before reaching inner edge on basal third of wing, a broader less 

 definite one crosses middle of reddish third, and a third narrower one scalloped 

 between the veins forms outer boundary of reddish portion ; be3fond which is an 

 irregular, broad, gre3'isb, scalloped band ; two oval, talc-like, white, translucent spots 

 near apex in dark-brown outer border between the second, third, and fourth nerves; 

 a small, light, roundish spot about middle of length and one-fourth of width from 

 anterior edge; posterior wings very dark rich chocolate brown, with a broad, 

 indefinite, lighter band beyond the middle, and an indistinct row of yellowish spots 

 on the veins ; the dark colour scalloped between the veins and bordered by a rich 

 brownish yellow, narrow line, be3'ond which a broad band of rich greyish brown 

 forms the posterior margin. Body brown, darkest on front of thorax, lightest 

 towards tip of abdomen. Underside of both wings rich, minutely speckled, brownish 

 grey with two undulated, narrow, dark streaks crossing them a little outside the 

 middle, within which is a large, rich blackish brown, triangular space within a light 

 grey anterior margin, and containing a light angular spot near outer edge, and the 

 median spot, which is more conspicuous than on upper side ; head, antennte and legs 

 dark brown, tuft under anterior tibiae bright glossy brownish yellow ; under side of 

 thorax and abdomen pale yellowish buff or fawn colour. Female: About 6 inches 

 from tip to tip. Much duller and lighter than the male, with nearly similar 

 markings of pale cold sepia brown and minutely speckled brownish ash}' grej'; the 

 veins on posterior wings ochraceous near outer margin; median spot and two 

 translucent talc spots near tips more conspicuous than in male; under"side marked 

 like male but paler, and with the central and angular light spots near outer edge of 

 dark triangular basal half more conspicuous. Larvm: about 4 to 5 inches long, 

 covered with close set, glossy coating of fine depressed hair of a black colour, with 

 narrow, transverse, whitish bands, and eight longitudinal rows of large yellow 

 tubercles (the second and third segments having an additional pair in front of the 



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