A 



J- /^c26 



105. 

 CHARISSA OPERARIA. 



Order Lepidoptera. Fam. Phalsenidae Lat., Leach. 



Type of the Genus Geometra obscuraria Hilb. 



Charissa Nobis. Phalaena Linn., Fab., Lat., Leach. Geometra 

 Hub., Haw. 



Antennae arising from the back part of the head, rather robust, 

 long-, attenuated at both ends, composed of numerous transverse 

 joints, with a few short scales above, hairy beneath, compressed 

 and produced internally in the males (fig. 1 a), slender and se- 

 taceous in the females. 



Labrum and Mandibles minute, the latter ciliated internally. 

 Maxillce long, ciliated towards their extremity (3). 

 Labial palpi not so long as the head, nearly straight, not pro- 

 jecting like a beak, nor contiguous, sparingly covered with 

 scales (4), 3-jointed, 1st joint long, curved only at the base, 2nd 

 shorter, 3rd minute ovate (4 a). 

 Head small, covered with short close scales. Wings extended hori- 

 zontally, undivided, superior trigonnte, apex acute, margins indented, 

 especially in the inferior wings. Abdomen long, slender and obtuse 

 in the males, shorter and subconic in the females. Anterior tibiae 

 short, with an internal spine, '2nd pair with spurs at their apex, the 

 posterior with 2 pair of ■spurs, sometimes subclavate in the males (Sf). 

 Tarsi 5 -join ted, the basal joint in the anterior pair as long as the 

 tibia. Claws simple, minute. 

 Caterpillars loopers with 6 pectoral, 2 abdominal, and 2 anal feet? 



Operaria Hiibner's Lep. pi. 69./. 359. 



Dull gray, variegated and tinged with pale ochre, glossy. An- 

 tennse dull ferruginous. Thorax and abdomen gray, speckled 

 with whitish scales, the latter darkest at the edges of the seg- 

 ments. Wings rather narrow, superior dark gray irregularly 

 variegated with white scales, an obscure transverse curved fascia 

 towards the base, another beyond the middle, parallel to the pos- 

 terior margin, sinuated, and a pale indented one near to the same 

 margin ; 7 minute black spots at the base of the cilia, and a large 

 obscure one near the middle approaching the costa. Inferior 

 wings like the superior in colour, with a sinuated obscure fascia 

 near the centre, pale at the external edge, and a paler one nearer, 

 parallel to the margin, upon which there are a few minute black 

 spots and a larger very obscure one between the fascia and the 

 base. Beneath pale silvery gray variegated ; the fascia and cen- 

 tral spots very obscure. 



In the Cabinets of Mr. Dale and the Author. 



