416. 

 MELANIPPE BLOMERI. 



Order Lepidoptera. Fam. Phalaenidas. 



Type of the Genus, Phalaena Alchemillata Linn. 

 Melanippe Goda, Curt. — Emmelesia Ste., Curt. — Larentia & Aci- 

 dalia Treit. and Goda. — Cidaria Treit. — Geometra Hilh. 

 AnteniKE inserted on each side the crown of the head, close to 

 the eyes, short and setaceous, composed of numerous joints, 

 clothed with scales above and ciliated beneath, especially in the 

 males (I J"). 



Maxillce spiral and slender, shorter than the antennae (3). 

 Labial Palpi small, not visible from above, porrected horizontally, 

 sparingly clothed with short scales, the apex acute (4) ; triarti- 

 culate, basal joint the longest and stoutest, curved at the base, 

 2nd oblong, not much longer than the 3rd which is oval (4 a). 

 Head small, the scales o?i the face very close. Eyes globose. Wings 

 expanded when at rest, entire, superior trigonate, ivferior rather 

 narroio and rounded. Abdomen short, slightly tufted in both sexes. 

 Legs alike in the sexes. Thighs slender, posterior a little the longest. 

 Tibiae, anterior short with a long spine on the inside, intermediate 

 spurred at the apex, posterior with a pair of unequal spurs at the 

 apex and another pair just above them (8 !)• Tarsi 5-jointed, an- 

 terior a little the longest. Pulvilli and Claws minute. 

 Larvae loopers, dilated in the middle, with 6 pectoral, 2 abdominal, and 



2 anal feet. Hiib, 

 Obs. the dissections and description are taken from M. sylvata Hub. 



Blomeri Dale's MSS, — Curtis's Guide, Gen. 937. 



Pale gray, freckled with minute black scales ; underside of an- 

 tennae subochreous : eyes black, face dark brown : superior wings 

 with a black striga and a faint fulvous one at the base, and a 

 short longitudinal dotted line ; a double blackish spot on the 

 costa before the middle, a broken striga beyond it, extending to 

 the posterior angle where it is double, the whole of the tip fulvous, 

 with a waved striga across the middle, the internal margin edged 

 with black, the posterior margin gray with an obscure crenated 

 black striga the whole breadth of the wing, the edge of the pos- 

 terior margin having a chain of 8 black dots 5 cilia dirty ochre : 

 inferior wings with an ochreous tint bearing several transverse 

 suffused fuscous bands, darkest at the abdominal margin, a 

 broad double one across the middle and another parallel and near 

 to the external margin which also bears a chain of blackish spots. 



In the Cabinets of Mr. Wailes, Captain Blomer, and the Author. 



After a careful investigation of this group I find a character 

 hitherto unnoticed, which will enable me to form 2 divisions. 

 The species figured is undoubtedly allied to M. sylvata, both 



