j{' /^ 3 ^ 



683. 



LITHOMIA SOLIDAGINIS. 



The Agrotis likeness. 



Order Lepidoptera. Fam. Noctuidae. 



Type of the Genus, Noctua Solidaginis Hilb. 

 LiTHOMiA Hub. — Noctua Hub., Goda. — Xylina Och. 



AntenntE rather long and setaceous, formed of numerous joints, 

 clothed with scales above, pubescent beneath, with distinct 

 brushes of hair on each side in the males (1 (J), furnished only 

 with a few bristles in the females ( ? ). 



MaxillcE as long as the antennae, spiral, forming 2 broad fila- 

 ments, with short tentacula at the apex (3). 

 Labial palpi short, obtuse, porrected obliquely, densely scaly (4), 

 triarticulate, basal joint stout and cleaver-shaped, 2nd not twice 

 as long, fusiform, 3rd not very short, rigid, slender and lanceo- 

 late (4«). 

 Head short, obtuse: eyes moderate, subovate. Thorax subquadrate, 

 densely clothed with scales, not crested, but tufted behind. Abdo- 

 men linear obtuse and tufted at the apex in the males, the back an- 

 gular, more conical in the female. Wings very closely deflexed in 

 repose, superior long and narrow, the posterior margin a little con- 

 cave towards the apex : inferior trigonate-ovate, not large, the margin 

 indented at the centre : cilia short. Legs rather long and stovt : 

 thighs very hairy beneath : tibise, anterior short, with a spine be- 

 neath, the others with long scales outside down to the middle, and 

 strong spurs at the apex, the hinder with a pair of spurs also below 

 the middle : tarsi long and 5 -jointed, bristly beneath : claws and 

 pulvilli minute. 

 Larvae smooth and cylindrical, with 6 pectoral, 8 abdominal and 2 anal 

 feet, the dorsal line a little angulated at its termination. 



Solidaginis Hub. Nott.pl. 55. f 256.— Curt., Gen. 844''. 



Light bright grey variegated with fuscous ; a black dot on each 

 side of the face close to the eyes, the anterior and lateral scaly 

 lobes of the thorax margined with black : superior wings with 

 the centre fuscous, margined by 2 transverse dentated and sinu- 

 ated black lines, with 2 grey spots placed obUquely and an au- 

 riculate one on the disc, all margined with black, beyond them 

 is a grey indented line forming 2 or 3 long acute angles at the 

 centre, each producing a black ray inwards ; several fine black 

 lines at the base ; cilia fuscous with pale spots : abdomen and 

 inferior wings pale yellow freckled with pale fuscous ; the latter 

 with a faint fuscous line across the middle, curved at the end 

 and forming a circle on the disc, with a broad fimbria not touch- 

 ing the margin ; cilia almost white, with a line of fuscous curves 

 at the base. 



In the Author's and other Cabinets. 



It would be difficult to assign Hiibner's reasons for calling 

 this moth " Solidaginis^" unless it be partial to the flowers of 



