72. 



THYATIRA BATIS. 



The Peach-blossom Moth. 



Order Lepidoptera. Fam. Noctuaelites Lat. Noctuadee 



Leach. 



Type of the Genus Noctua Batis Linn. 



Thyatira Och. Noctua Linn., Fab., Haw. 



Antenna alike in both sexes, rather short, composed of nume- 

 rous transverse joints, clothed with scales above, with short 

 hairs beneath (fig. 1 a). 

 Labrum distinct, short, triangular (2 a). 



Mandibles distinct, short, rounded, ciliated with a few bristles 

 (2 b). 



MaxillcE as long as the antennae, with a few hairs at the base, 

 covered with projecting glands from the middle to the apex (3). 

 Labial Palpi obliquely porrected, distant, 3-jointed, longer than 

 the head, covered with long hairy scales, the terminal joint 

 clothed with short close scales only (4) j 1st joint short, 2nd 

 long attenuated, 3rd as long as the 1st, slender, conical (4 a, 

 the scales being removed). 

 Head transverse. Thorax clothed with long light scales, forming a 

 transverse crest. Abdomen rather long and slender, with a small 

 tuft of scales on the back near the base. Wings defiexed, superior, 

 slightly hooked at the posterior angle, inferior wings large. Tibiae ; 

 anterior, with a compressed spine on the inside ; middle and posterior 

 tibicp with a pair of spurs at their apex, one being very small, the 

 posterior pair having also 2 spurs below the middle. 

 Larvae with 6 pectoral 8 abdominal and 2 anal feet. 



Batis Linn. Syst. Nat. 2. 836. 97. Fab. Ent. Syst. v. 3. pars 2. 

 p. 30. n. 73. Haw. Lep. Brit. p. 245. n. 254. 

 Head, antennae and thorax pale brown, the latter with 4 trans- 

 verse rosy bands. Superior wings brown, darkest towards the 

 base, with several crenated dark transverse lines, a large flesh- 

 coloured spot at the base, clouded with brown, 2 large somewhat 

 oval rosy spots approximating, one at the apex the other near 

 the costa, another of the same size at the posterior angle, with 

 a brown spot in the middle, and 2 smaller rosy spots, one upon 

 the posterior the other upon the interior margin. Inferior wings 

 fuscous-ochraceous, with a pale line near the centre parallel to 

 the margin. Abdomen of the same colour. 



In the Author's and other Cabinets. 



This moth, which when perfect is one of the most lovely our 

 island produces, is occasionally met with in the evening, flying 



