^^\««Bln|Wi J. 

 <^^*- ^ND ^"iv 



JOURNAL OF VARIATION, 



No. 11. Vol. III. November I5th, 1892. 



THE GENUS ACRONYCTA AND ITS ALLIES. 



By Dr. T. a. chapman. 

 {Contimied from page 222.) 



EM AS CORY LI and Diloba c<xruleocephala. — We 

 now come to two species, Deinas coryli and Diloba 

 coeruleocephala, that are certainly not very much 

 '^^^ related to each other, and though they have some 

 indications of affinity with Acronycta, are not near enough to 

 be placed in the same family. Coryli I should certainly restore 

 to its old place in the Liparidce, to which it is far closer than 

 to the Acronyctas, whilst cosruleocephala seems to require a 

 family to itself, and is possibly as near to Acronycta as to any 

 other family, but is nevertheless rather a Bombyx than a 

 NocTUA. But neither of these seem to me to be nearer to 

 Acronycta than is Arctia, or Liparis, or Orthosia, or Xylina, 

 which appear to be perhaps the families nearest to Acronycta 

 in different directions. 



Before discussing this matter further it may be well to give 

 some description of each of these. 



Demas coryli. — The eggs are laid singly (PI. VI IL, figs. 9, ga). 

 In the figure they have a close resemblance to those of Mojua 

 orion, and in size and sculpturing the likeness is rather close, but 

 the detailed character of the sculpturing is very different, and the 

 colour and texture are also very different. The form is much 

 the same, nearly three-quarters of a sphere, rather flattened on 

 the top and below. The diameter is 76 mm., the ribs are about 

 twenty-five in number, diminishing in number towards the 

 top, and the secondary ribs are very distinct, alternating in 

 adjacent furrows. Each rib consists of or perhaps is sur- 

 mounted by a very definite small raised ridge, unlike anything 

 seen in Acronyctas . The colour is pale greenish when laid, 

 and then becomes yellowish with a circle of small red dots just 



