434 LEPIDOPTERA. 



5. S. obductella, Fnh. — Expanse | to 1 inch. Fore 

 wings elongate, pale red-brown or purple-red, the lines 

 represented by vague white clouding and dusting, which is 

 continued between them ; hind wings silky pale yellowish- 

 brown. 



Antennic of the male simple, but the second joint expanded 

 and edged above with a ridge of black scales, red-brown ; 

 palpi small, bluntly pointed, purple-brown ; head and thorax 

 purplish-red ; abdomen pale brown. Fore wings narrow, 

 elongated; costa scarcely arched; apex squarely angulated ; 

 hind margin faintly oblique and a little rounded ; dull red- 

 brown or puqjlish-red ; first line white, irregular and diffused, 

 but including two black dots on nervures ; second line indi- 

 cated by a series of white dusted dashes, on one of which, 

 near the dorsal margin, is a black dot ; two elongated black 

 dots, one over the other, suggest the discal spot ; the middle 

 area is loosely dusted with white ; hind margin obscurely 

 edged with black ; cilia shining grey -brown. Hind wings 

 ample ; the apex pointed, and hind margin rounded ; smoky- 

 brown, the cilia rather paler but intersected by a brown line. 

 Female similar, with the usual difference in the antenna?. 



Underside of the fore wings smoky yellow-brown ; of tlu- 

 hind wings more yellowish, but very glossj-. Body and legs 

 pale brown. 



In some specimens the dorsal area is more tinged witli 

 ochreous, and a narrow creamy-brown line runs along the 

 costa. 



On the wing in -Inly and August. 



Larva pale green, with ill-defined grey-brown longitudinal 

 stripes, and small deep black raised dots, edged with paler. 

 Head and dorsal plate dull black ; anal plate with a trianguhir 

 brown spot. (Hofmann.) 



May and June on McnfJia ariTusis, Orif/anum vidf/crr, 

 Calamintha and Clinopodmn, feeding between joined to- 

 gether leaves. 



