r 



9- y ^3^ 



431. 



TRACHEA ATRIPLICIS. 



Wild Arrach Moth. 



!■ 



Order Lepidoptera. Fam. Noctuidae. 



Type of the Genus, Noctua Atriplicis Linn. 



Trachea Och., Curt. — Noctua, Linn., &c. 



AntenncE inserted on the crown of the head, close to the eyes 

 alike in both sexes, slender, setaceous, and composed of nume- 

 rous joints, pubescent beneath, clothed with scales above, the 

 basal joint covered with long scales forming a cup (1). 

 Maxilla' spiral, as long as the antennae (3). 

 Labial Palpi short, scarcely projecting beyond the head, densely 

 clothed with rather short scales, the apical joint distinct (4) ; 

 Inarticulate, 1st and 2nd joints robust, of equal length, the for- 

 mer curved, the latter slightly attenuated at both ends^ 3rd joint 

 small, subovate (4 a). 

 Head short, densely covered with scales. Eyes rather small and oval. 

 Thorax large with a bifid crest in the middle. Abdomen short and 

 stout, the basal joints tufted down the back : the apex tufted in the 

 ■males. Wings dejiexed when at rest, superior subovate- trigonate , 

 the posterior margin rounded and indented ; inferior wings rather 

 small and subovate, the margin slightly indented. Legs robust, 

 densely clothed with hairy scales : tibiae, anterior very short with an 

 internal spine arising near the base, the others furnished with unequal 

 spurs, the posterior having two pair. Tarsi longer than the tibiae, 

 basal joint the longest. Claws bifd {8, nfore leg). 

 Larvae smooth, subcylindric, the penultimate joint angulated above ; G 

 pectoral, 8 abdominal and 2 anal feet. 



Atriplicis Linn. Faun. Suec. 317. 1 196. — Curt. Guide, Gen. 8.'J3. 1. 

 Clouded brown with a bloom over it ; crown of head and mar- 

 gins of the thoracic lobes yellow-green ; superior wings with 

 several blackish spots on the costa and 4 minute buff ones to- 

 wards the tip, a double crenated blackish striga at the base, an- 

 other before and an oblique one beyond the middle, and a single 

 buff striga very much sinuated and angulated towards the pos- 

 terior margin which bears a line of lunulate black marks ; a yel- 

 low-green cloud at the base, the extremity variegated with the 

 same colour as well as an ocellated spot and an ear-shaped one 

 on the disc, the internal edge of which as well as an oblique ob- 

 long one beneath it are buff 5 cilia spotted with buff 5 inferior 

 wings buff, tinged with fuscous, becoming dark beyond the disc 

 where there is an obscure striga and a spot above it, appearing 

 from the underside : legs beneath buff, tibiae spurs and the joints 

 of the tarsi tipped with the same colour. 



In the Author's and other Cabinets. 



The type of our genus is allied to Miselia (pi. 177) and Fo- 

 lia (pi. 248); but I am unable to determine whether the other 



