76. 



CHARICLEA DELPHINII. 



The Pease-blossom Moth. 



Order Lepidoptera. Fam. Noctuadae Lat., Leach. 



Type of the Genus Noctua Delphinii Linn. 



Chariclea Stephens's MSS. Noctua Linn., Fab., Haw. 



Antenna long setaceous, composed of numerous short joints 

 covered with scales above, hairy beneath, 1st joint large, con- 

 cealed by long hairy scales ( I a, tlie basal and a few following 

 joints). 



Labrum and Mandibles attached to the clypeus. 

 Maxill(E nearly as long as the body, with a few glands like ten- 

 tacula towards the apex (3). 



Labial Palpi rather short, curved upward, covered entirely with 

 long hairy scales (4), 3-jointed, 1st joint long cylindric, 2nd 

 shorter somewhat ovate, 3rd small ovate (4 a, the scales being 

 removed). 

 Head trigonate viewed from above. Abdomen without tufts of scales, 

 apex of the male slightly bifid. Wings deflexed, superior somewhat 

 lanceolate, inferior rather small. Cilia venj long. Legs clothed 

 with soft hair, anterior rather short. Tibiae, anterior very short, 

 trigonate, with 2 horny naked spines at the apex, the internal one 

 being very long and curved. Tarsi 5 -jointed, armed with rows oj 

 spines beneath, 1st joint long. Claws minute bifid. Pulvilli dis- 

 tinct, (8 afore leg). 

 Caterpillars with 6 pectoral, 8 abdominal, and 2 anal feet. 



Delphinii Linn.Syst. Nat. 2. 857. 188. Fab. Ent. Syst. v. 3. pars 2. 

 p. 90. n. 267. Haw. Lep. Brit. p. 248. n. 261. 

 Pale ochraceous, inclining to fuscous. Superior wings with a 

 large trilobed fascia at the base, and a narrower one towards the 

 posterior margin rosy-lilac, edged with brown ; the centre of 

 the wing forming a bar variegated with pale rosy-lilac, broadest 

 at the costa, margins described by a sinuated double line ; to- 

 wards the top of this fascia are situated 2 spots, that nearer the 

 base small, pale, circular j the other nearer the extremity, large 

 somewhat oval, lilac-colour, with a line extending from it to the 

 interior margin ; posterior margin pale with a dark line next 

 the cilia. Inferior wings with a transverse spot near the middle, 

 and a fimbria fuscous, posterior margin rosy with a dark line 

 next the cilia. 



In the Cabinet of Mr. Stephens. 



