124 



ZYG.ENIDiE AND BOMBYCID^ 



6— ARCTIA ACHAIA. (Pi. 5, figs. 17-21.) * 



Arctia achaia, Grote, Tran. Am. Ent. Soc. vol. i, p. 334. PI. 6, fig. 

 45 5,46 ?. (1868.) 



Chelonia Achaia, Boisduval, Lep. Cal. p. 76. (1868-9.) 

 3 . — Type. PI. 5, fig. 19. Plead between the eyes, pale yellowish 

 buft'. Labial palpi brownish black ; eyes encircled with brownish 

 black. Antennae rather short, bipectinate, brownish black. "Collar" 

 pale yellowish buff, with lateral black stripes behind the antennae. 

 Patagia black, fringed with pale yellowish buff ; a central thoracic 

 black stripe ; the upper surface of the thorax (including the patagia) 

 may thus be described as pale yellowish buff with three longitudinal 

 black stripes. Beneath, the under thoracic surface and legs are black- 

 ish brown ; the longer lateral hairs below the insertion of the wing are 

 yellowish. Abdomen yellowish, blackish at the base. A broad black 

 dorsal line, and a lateral row of small black spots. Beneath paler 

 with two rows of small black transverse spots. Anal tuft black with 

 a few yellowish hairs. 



Anterior wings velvety black, the veins narrowly clothed with pale 

 yellowish scales, as is also the costa. A broad, pale yellowish buff, 

 longitudinal stripe, runs from the base of the wing below the median 

 vein, to the internal angle where it forks, the branches reaching the 

 outer margin and resting on the tips of the fourth median and sub- 

 median veins. A broad, similarly colored, sub-basal transverse band, 

 spreading on the costal and internal margins, sometimes partially (fig. 

 10) and sometimes entirely obsolete (tig. 20). A narrow transverse, 

 median, similarly colored band, usually constricted below the longi- 

 tudinal stripe. A third transverse stripe, parallel with the outer mar- 

 gin, not seen below the longitudinal streak, and enclosing between it 

 and the median band a wedge-shaped spot. Finally the usual arctian 

 stripe making with the upper fork of the longitudinal stripe the letter 

 W. Internal margin and fringes pale yellowish buff. Beneath as 

 above, but less clearly marked. All the markings above are liable to 

 great variation in color, being sometimes as described, sometimes 

 creamy white, or ochreous or even rosy pink. 



Posterior wings clear orange red marked as follows with black. A 

 large basal patch, divided by a broad stripe medially and edged out- 



* See p. 73, Ante. 



