539. 



HAPALIA PRECOX. 



The Portland Moth. 



Order Lepidoptera. Fam. Noctuidas. 



Type of the Genus, Noctua prsecox Linn. 

 Hapalia Hub. — Actebia Step., Curt. — Noctua Linn., Hub., Haio. 

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

 setaceous, ciliated transversely beneath in the male (1 (^). 

 Maxilla shorter than the antennse, rather stout, spiral and fur- 

 nished with tentacula at the apex (3). 



Labial palpi short and recurved, but projecting beyond the head, 

 densely clothed with rather short scales, the apical joint visi- 

 ble (4), triarticulate, basal joint curved nearly as long the 2nd, 

 which is long and ventricose, 3rd small and ovate (4 a). 

 Head small thickly clothed with scales: eyes lateral and globose (7 *). 

 Thorax but slightly crested. Abdomen a little depressed and tufted 

 down the back in the males, the apex truncated and tufted. Wing 

 slightly deflexed in repose : superior narrow linear and truncated ; 

 inferior ample. Thighs, anterior appearing serrated beneath : tibiae 

 bristly, anterior loith an internal spine (8) ; the others spurred at the 

 apex, the posterior with a long pair of spurs also belotv the middle (f) .- 

 tarsi long and rough beneath with strong bristles ; o -jointed, basal 

 joint very long : claws and pulvilli distinct. 

 Larvae naked, with 6 pectoral, 8 abdominal and 2 anal feet. 



Precox Linn., Syst. Nat. 2. 854. 174. — praeceps Hlib. — Curt. Guide, 

 Gen. 857. 1. 



Whitish -grey ; antennas brownish, except at the base ; thorax 

 greenish, especially the collar, freckled with white and a little 

 black : anterior Mdngs brownish-green, freckled with paler scales, 

 costa spotted with black and white ; 3 waved pale strigae, the 

 edges denticulated with black, 2 towards the base, the 3rd be- 

 yond the middle, on the disc are 3 large pale spots partially edged 

 with black, the 1st roundish with the centre reddish brown, 

 beneath it is an ovate one and remote from them an auriculate 

 one bearing irregular greenish and black markings, sometimes 

 there is a brownish waved line across the centre of the wing, and 

 a broad waved purplish-red stripe, edged with a pale line, pa- 

 rallel to the posterior margin, but not reaching the apex ; cilia 

 white, spotted with brown, and a chain of black dots at the base : 

 inferior wings and abdomen ochreous-fuscous, the former with 

 a pale margin, the nervures and a lunate mark on the disc a 

 little darker; cilia whitish. 



In the Author's and other Cabinets. 



Roesel's Phal. 2. t. 51., exhibiting figures of our moth and 

 its Caterpillar, being referred to by Linnaeus in illustration of 

 his species {P. prcccoj:), I am inclined to retain his name, al- 

 though from his short description some doubt remains re- 

 specting it. 



