/J- ndL 



615. 



NYSSIA ZONARIA. 

 The belted Beauty. 



Order Lepidoptera. Fam. Geometridae. 



Type of the Genus, Geometra zonaria Wien., Verz. 



Nyssia Goda, Curt. — Phigalia Goda. — Amphidasis Och. — Geometra 

 Linn., Haw. — Phalsena Fab. 



Antennce short, inserted near to the eyes on the crown of the 

 head, filiform, scaly, bipectinated in the male, the rays ciliated, 

 short at the base and apex (1 (^) ; simple in the female, with a 

 few scattered hairs amongst the scales ( ? ) . 

 Maxillce none. 



Labial palpi small, rather drooping and densely clothed with 

 long hairs (4) ; triarticulate (a), basal joint the longest and 

 stoutest, 2nd oblong, 3rd minute, clothed with short scales and 

 concealed by very long hairs. 

 Head small and very much concealed under the thorax (7 the profile) ; 

 eyes small and globose but not prominent. Thorax globose and 

 woolly : Abdomen short stout and attenuated. Wings, superior sub- 

 lanceolate ; inferior rather small subovate. Legs very much alike in 

 size : thighs very woolly : tibiae, anterior with a long slender inter- 

 nal spine (8), the others with short spurs only at the apex (f),- tarsi 

 long and 5 -jointed : claws and pulvilU small. Female with 4 small, 

 spatulate hairy wings. 

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

 Pupae naked, subterranean. Hiib. 



Zonaria Wien., Verz. — Curt. Guide, Gen. 890. 3. 



Male white with a yellowish tinge ; rays of antennae blackish ; 

 thorax with 3 broad black stripes : abdomen black clothed with 

 ochreous hairs towards the apex, margins of the segments fer- 

 ruginous : wings with the nervures black, superior with a black 

 lunule on the disc, beyond which the wing is black, with 2 ob- 

 lique white slightly waved lines, the 1st being the broadest; 

 inferior with a broad blackish fimbria, bearing a broad whitish 

 stripe and a narrow line, sometimes composed of dots, near to 

 the margin ; cilia blackish : legs black spotted with white. 

 Female deep black, clothed with whitish woolly hairs, especially 

 beneath, antennae speckled with white, margins of abdominal 

 segments ochreous, tips of thighs, tibiae and joints of tarsi white. 



In the Author's and other Cabinets. 



Nyssia has been separated from Biston by M. Duponchel in 

 consequence of the females being nearly apterous, and the 

 caterpillars varying in tlieir form. He has also formed a ge- 



