523. 



HYRIA AURORARIA. 



The purple and gold Moth. 



Order Lepidoptera. Fam. Phalaenidae. 



Type of the Genus, Geometra Auroraria H'ui. 



Hyria Step., Curt. — Fidonia Och., Goda. — Geometra T/m^., Haw. — 

 Phalsena Fab. 



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

 rather short and setaceous, composed of vertebrate formed jomts, 

 each clothed with two series of scales above and short rays, 2 

 at the apex and 2 at the base, producing long bristles on both 

 sides in the male (1, portions of the base and apex) ; simple in 

 the female. 



Maxillce spiral, not more than half the length of the antennae 

 and very slender (3). 



Labial palpi short, slightly curved, but porrected nearly hori- 

 zontally, clothed with short scales (4), triarticulate, basal joint 

 the longest and stoutest, 2nd much more slender, but nearly as 

 long, 3rd shorter, narrower and obtuse at the apex (4 a). 

 Head small subglobose ; eyes not very globose. Thorax with the scales 

 depressed. Wings forming a triangle in repose, rounded and obtuse; 

 cilia long and irregular. Abdomen short linear and tufted at the 

 apex in the males. Legs, hinder pair the smallest in the male: tibiae, 

 anterior with a curved spine on the inside, clothed with long scales ; 

 intermediate armed ivith one long and another short spur at the apex 

 (8*) ; hinder pair destitute of spurs in the male (Sf), but spurred 

 at the apex in the female. 

 Caterpillars loopers, attenuated, with 6 pectoral, 2 abdominal and 2 



anal feet ? 

 Pupae inclosed in a cocoon. Treit. 



Auroraria Hub. — Curt. Guide, Gen. 921. 1. — sanguinaria Hilb. 

 Beit. — variegata Fab. 



Orange, head piceous, antennae and crown whitish ; anterior 

 portion of thorax and abdomen, except the apex, rosy purple : 

 wings of the same colour, with an orange margin and a waved 

 blackish line parallel to it near the extremity of the purple, 

 superior wings with an orange spot on the disc uniting with an 

 ovate one below it, which is divided by a faint purple striga 

 near the base ; inferior with an oval orange spot on the disc 

 and freckled with the same colour : beneath similar, with the 

 underside of the legs brown. 



In the Author's and other Cabinets. 



This charming little moth when quite perfect has the wings 

 of a golden yellow, ornamented with purple inclining to lilacj 



