24 THE LEPIDOPTERA OF CEYLON. 



MAMESTEA OPPOSITA. 



Mamestra opposita, Walker, Catal. Lep. Het. B. M. xxxii. p. 667 (1865). 



" Male. Cinereous-black, reddisb-ciiiereous beueath : forewings with three 

 double deutate deep black lines, first line very near the base, second on the inner 

 side of the orbicular mark, connected with the reniform by a short obhque deep 

 black line, third line beyond the reniform, connected with some deep black streaks 

 in which the submarginal whitish line is apparent ; marginal points deep black ; 

 intermediate marginal points whitish ; some deep black costal dots and three exterior 

 whitish costal points ; orbicular and reniform marks lai'ge, incompletely bordered 

 with deep black and with whitish, the latter containing a triangular ochraceous- 

 whitish spot : hindwings whitish, with a brownish marginal line, fringe with a 

 reddish tinge. Abdomen blackish-cinereous, second, third and fourth segments 

 with blackish crests ; tibias and tarsi blackish above, tips of tarsal joints cinereous. 

 Expanse 20 lines." 



Genus THALPOPHILA. 



Thalpophila, Hiibner, Verz. bek. Sclimett. p. 208 (1818-25); Walker, Catal. Lep. Het. B. M, ix.p. 214. 

 Cerifjo, Stephens, lUust, Brit. Ent. Huust. ii. p. 106 (1829). 



Male. Fore wing elongated, moderately broad ; costa almost straight, apex 

 hardly acute, exterior margin oblique; cell extending beyond half the wing; first 

 subcostal emitted at two-fifths before end of the cell, second at one-fifth, trifid, third 

 at one-fifth from base of second and fourth at bL'yond one-half from base of third, 

 fifth from end of the cell, ascending and joining third for a short distance near its 

 base; discocellular concave, bent near lower end, upper radial emitted from below 

 fifth subcostal at a short distance beyond the cell, lower radial from lower angle of 

 the discocellular ; middle median from angle close to end of the cell, lower median 

 at about one-half before the end ; submedian recurved : hindwing short, broad ; 

 costa arched at the base, exterior margin convex, waved ; costal and subcostal joined 

 together near the base, two subcostal branches from beyond end of the cell, disco- 

 cellular obliquely concave, radial from below the middle ; cell extending to half the 

 wing ; middle median from angle very close to end of the cell, lower at nearly one- 

 third before the end ; submedian and internal slightly curved. Body moderately 

 stout, thorax laxly clothed, abdomen extending beyond hindwings ; palpi ascending, 

 laxly pilose, second joint extending to level of the eyes, third joint short, thick, 

 cylindrical ; legs thick, fore tibi« hairy beneath, middle and hind tibife hairy above, 

 spurred; antennjB finely bipectinated. 



Tyjpe, T. texta. 



