448 LÉPIDOPTÉROLOGIE COMPARÉE 



Hybrid between " Lycia hirtaria " and " Ithysia graecaria. " 



Lycia hirtaria cf x Ithysia grœ caria Q = hybrid buloveci. 



The Crossing was obtained in the spring of the présent year 

 and was not difïicult to secure. The hirtaria maies paired with 

 the grœcaria females very late at night — certainly after 

 10.30 P. M. — but next morning the female had already deposited 

 a batch of ova vvhen examined at 7. A. M. 



Two pairings were obtained. The females laid very freely, but 

 very soon the ova appeared to be infertile, for they collapsed 

 almost totally. However. I was agreeably surprised, for in the 

 end, every one of the eggs in both broods hatched. The colour 

 changes were extremely slow, as the period when the eggs were 

 dirty grey in colour, lasted for a long time. Probably this is due 

 to the great différence between the température of the month of 

 May in the North of England and that in the Balkan Peninsula. 



The larvas, as they hatched, were placed on hawthorn {Cratœgiis 

 oxyacanthà) at once, but they proved even more agile than those 

 of their relatives and made desperate efforts to escape. Their 

 very small size helped them in thèse attempts but, finally, ail of 

 them settled down to their food, which they proceeded to devour 

 ravenously in a manner which even those of denhami failed to 

 equal ; they were full grown and in the ground in a little less 

 than six weeks after emerging from the &^^, and this in spite 

 of the very low température prévalent hère in May and June igi2. 

 As no grœcaria larvas were available when they were being rcared, 

 the larwae could only be compared with those of hybrid denhajiii, 

 which they resembled very closely. It is not possible to rear 

 grœcaria in the North of England, as the cold north east winds 

 eut them off before they reach the third instar. 



ist INSTAR. 



Length at the end : 5 mm. 

 Head. The head is black, with the mouth parts somewhat 

 paler. 



