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731. 

 PLUSIA ILLUSTRIS. 



The purple shades. 



Order Lepidoptera. Fam. Noctuidse ? 



Type of the Genus, Noctua Gamma, Linn. 

 Plusia Hub., Och., Goda., Curt. — Phytometra Haw. 



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

 moderately long, very slender and setaceous, hasal joint short 

 and stout, producing a pencil of scales above, 2nd short, the re- 

 mainder subquadrate, scaly above, velvety beneath (1), taper- 

 ing and slightly pubescent towards the apex, where the joints 

 are more turbinate, apical joint small, ovate-conic. 

 Maxillce considerably longer than the antennae, very spiral and 

 tapering (3), Palpi minute, forming a capitate joint surrounded 

 by longish scales (3 a). 



Labial palpi recurved obliquely a little beyond the head (4), 

 densely clothed with long scales, excepting the apical joint 

 which is very;distinct ; triarticulate, basal joint longish, cleaver- 

 shaped, 2nd twice as long, curved and nearly linear, 3rd scarcely 

 so long as the 1st, slender and elliptical (4 a). 

 Head subtrigonate, crested : eyes prominent and subglobose : ocelli 

 large, placed behind the antenna (7* the profile). Thorax crested 

 behind. Abdomen longish and linear, with long tufts down the cen- 

 tre of 2 or 3 of the basal segments, the apex truncated and tufted in 

 the male. Wings deflexed hi repose : superior suhlanceolate , the inner 

 margin waved, the posterior angle a little hooked: cilia sometimes 

 indented: inferior wings triangular -ovate. Legs, anterior short: 

 thighs very woolly beneath : tibiae, anterior abbreviated, with a short 

 lanceolate spine on the inside, the others hairy outside, with long un- 

 equal spurs at the apex, hinder with a pair also at the middle (8 f) .- 

 tarsi slender with series of short spines beneath, hinder very long. 

 Larvae semiloopers, bristly, loith 6 pectoral, 4 abdominal and 2 anal 

 feet. Pupae inclosed in a soft silky cocoon. 



Illustris Fab. — Curt. Guide, Gen. 875, 1. 



Yellowish-green inclining to mouse -colour: superior wings very 

 glossy, the nervures pale, with an oblique elUptic spot on the 

 disc, and an auriculate one beyond and above it, placed ob- 

 liquely in an opposite direction, both with pale margins, beyond 

 the 2nd is a rosy patch ; a space of the same colour at the base, 

 bounded by an abbreviated obUque double band, dark brown 

 outside ; a flexuose line beyond the middle, rosy outside and 

 pale internally ; edge of posterior margin and a flexuose line 

 near it pale ; an orange patch at the apex, another at the mid- 

 dle and a third at the posterior angle : inferior wings mouse- 

 colour, with the margin and a faint line across the middle darker : 

 2 tufts at the base of the abdomen subferruginous. Obs. in aged 

 specimens the rosy colour and orange spots become very faint. 



The caterpillars are distinguished from the greater portion 

 of Noctuidae by their having only 12 feet, and they depart 

 again from that family by the pupae being inclosed in a silken 

 web or cocoon. The moths are by far the most lovely group 



