NOCTUID.^. — ORTHOSIA. 14t 



Sp. 13. lunosa. Alls anticis fuscis, vel cinereo-fuscis aut griseo-rufescentibus, 

 strigd posticd punciorum nigrorum ; posticis flavo-albidis aut fuscescentibus 

 lunula centrali fasciaque sulmiarginali fuscis. (Exp. alar. 1 unc. 4 — 6 lin.) 



No. lunosa. Haworth. — Or. lunosa. Curtis, v. pi. 237. — Steph. Catul. part ii. 

 p. 73. No. 6141. 



Also a variable species : in general the head, thorax, and anterior wings are 

 pale ashy-brown ; the latter with the ordinary striga? nearly obUterated ; the 

 stigmata very distinct and fuscous, with a pale margin ; behind the posterior 

 one is a pale, sUghtly undulated striga, followed by one composed of con- 

 spicuous, somewhat triangular, black spots, the space between rather fuscous; 

 in the margin itself is a row of minute black spots: the posterior wings are 

 yellowish or ochraceous- white, with a central lunule, and an irregular sub- 

 marginal dusky or brown fascia, and an interrupted black striga on the margin 

 itself: ciUa immaculate, ochraceous, sometimes with a reddish tinge. 



Both sexes vary exceedingly : in some the anterior wings are brown, in others 

 griseous-red, or ferruginous, with the ordinary strigae distinct, and the ner- 

 vures rather pale; but the posterior striga of black spots is always very 

 distinct : the posterior wings also vary much : I possess one specimen with 

 them nearly fuscous, with the central lunule darker, and another nearly white. 



Caterpillar unknown : the imago appears in September. 



The phases of this insect are precisely those of the foregoing ; it 

 is therefore surprising that writers should not have profited from 

 that fact, and have restored the varieties of the former to their 

 legitimate species, instead of servilely copying from their prede- 

 cessors; especially after Ochsenheimer had properly reduced the 

 varieties from Esper. Or. lunosa is occasionally met with rather 

 abundantly near Birch and Coombe woods : it has also been taken 

 near Hertford, Limehouse, and Stepney. " Common at Kimpton." 

 — Rev. G. T. Rudd. " Marton Lodge, Yorkshire." — L. Rudd, Esq. 



Sp. 14. Lota. Alis cinereis, anticis puncto pone medium atro, strigfajue posticd 

 rufd extus alhida, stigmatihus rufo-marginatis. (Exp. alar. 1 unc. 3 — 6 lin.) 

 Ph. Bo. Lota. Linne. — Or. Lota. Steph. Catal. pa7-t ii. p. 73. No. 6142. 



Deep cinereous brown : anterior wings with the ordinary strigae obscure, their 

 origin indicated on the costa by some dusky and paler marks ; the stigmata 

 with a slender pale margin, bounded externally with bright rufous, the an- 

 terior one generally immaculate in the centre, the posterior with a deep black 

 spot towards the inner edge of the wings: towards the hinder margin is a 

 conspicuous bright rufous striga, edged externally with whitish, and abruptly 

 broken near its origin on the costa : posterior wings fuscous, sometimes with 

 a pale striga near the margin : fringe pale ashy or fuscous. 



The anterior stigma has occasionally a black patch in its centre ; and at the 

 base of the wings there is frequently a deep black dot. 



Caterpillar ash-coloured, with longitudinal white streaks, faintly edged with 



l2 



