86 



THE ENTOMOLOGIST S RECORD. 



variety — arundineta. In his Syst. Bearb. d. Sckmett. v. Europa, ii., 

 p. 244, no. 186, he calls the Hiibnerian illustration ' totally defective in 

 its outlines, forewings much too large,' which is true, perhaps, only 

 in comparison with his variety, my arundineta. Neurica, Hiibn., often 

 has, in reality, wider forewings, and also differs sometimes in the out- 

 lines of the same from arundineta. After I had sent Herrich-Schaffer 

 one of each variety, this author at once agreed with me that the two 

 were different species, and recognised that the first variety tallied with 

 Hiibner's illustration. I have sent away some of both for years, 

 arundineta in considerable quantities, and, therefore, specimens of 

 these species will be found in many collections. Whoever has one 

 variety only might be in doubt as to which species he has. To such 

 the remark will be sufficient that a distinct central lunule on the 

 underside of each wing is a criterion for arundineta, while neurica 

 never has any mark there. As regards the early stages, I shall 

 shortly have occasion again to make further observations, and I shall 

 endeavour, later on, to again give the two varieties an opportunity for 

 mutual copulation, if I should be successful in any way in having 

 both species emerge at the same time. As far as I know, 

 neurica has previously only been found by Hess near Darmstadt, and 

 some specimens recently sent by him, which I have seen, belong to 

 my first variety. I do not know whether arundineta was found there 

 also, or in what other localities it has been found, but I do know 

 that a moth, closely allied to this variety, formerly also united 

 to neurica, but separated from it by recent authors and called hessii, 

 has also been observed only at that locality. Further, it is said to have 

 the same way of living as neurica, but I have not been able to 

 ascertain whether this applies specially to the general habits of the 

 larva. Exact data in this respect would be of the greatest interest. 

 I have not yet observed this variety in this region, and I have only 

 myself seen two or three old specimens of this moth. Arundineta 

 stands between it and neurica. I never saw real transitions from one 

 to the other, such as Treitschke says he noticed. Perhaps he saw all 

 the three species, and was deluded into that supposition by arundineta. 



In 1859, Doubleday (Synonymic List) adopts the name neurica, Hb., 

 and gives us as a synonym, hessii, Bdv. 



In 1860, 0. Wilde describes (Plants and Larvae of Germany, pt. 2, 

 pp. 185-6) the larva of neurica, Hb., as "of a bluish-grey colour, with 

 three indistinct stripes on the back," and the larva of arundineta, 

 Schmidt, as " of a dirty white, with a reddish tinge on the back." He 

 also figures (pi. v., fig. 49) the pupse of each, which are different. His 

 comparison reads : — 



N. neurica®, Hb. (var. hessii, Boisd.) ; H.-Scb., 2, 244 ; Hb. 381 ; St. E. Z., 

 4, 345, v. 19, 367; Hb., 659-661, var. hessii. — Larva: Slender, slightly arcbed, 

 witb long anal claspers, dull bluish-grey, witb three indistinct light grey stripes 

 upon tbe back, between which, on each segment, stands a black wart, always 

 occupied by one little book. Spiracles black. Anal plate yellow, dotted witb 

 brown. Abdomen and bindlegs wbitish-grey, lower part marked with black. 

 Neck-plate yellow-brown, dotted and margined with dark brown. Prolegs grey, 

 marked with brown. Head black-brown. 9"'-l" - 0'". Pupa: Small, slender, with a 

 wedge-shaped " beak " (headpiece), and many small hooks and bristles on the stalk- 

 shaped cremaster (pi. 5, fig. 49). 



• Treitschke {Die Sclnnett., ii., 2, p. 319), under neurica, describes tbe larva 

 belonging to arundineta. 



