SERICORIDM—P.^DISCA. i33 



A-*. Fore wings velvety reddish brown, with an obscure 

 paler dorsal blotch P- sordidana. 



1. P. ophthalmicana, Hiih. | to f inch (i8-22mni.). 

 Fore wings elongated, dark slate-grey or slate-black with two 

 black spots on the dorsal margin. 



Antennas and palpi black-brown ; head dull brown ; thorax 

 purple-brown ; abdomen dull ochreous-brown. Fore wings 

 elongated, even in width ; costa strongly folded back at the 

 base, rather arched beyond ; apex bluntly angulated, hind 

 margin curved, not very oblique ; dark slate-grey or slate- 

 black ; on the dorsal margin near the base is an erect, narrow, 

 black-brown or black spot, and above the anal angle another, 

 broader, which is closely followed by a large grey ocellus, 

 edged with black; cilia purple-brown. Hind wings pale 

 smoky brown with the base paler and cilia white. Female, 

 costa plain, otherwise similar, or darker and more obscurely 

 marked. 



Underside of the fore wings leaden black ; costa dotted 

 with white. Hind wings leaden white. 



On the wing from the end of July till September. 



Larva short, thick and wrinkled, segments swollen ; dirty 

 greenish white; raised dots prominent, olive-grey; head 

 shining black ; dorsal plate olive-brown, with a white collar; 

 last two segments somewhat retracted, anal plate light 

 brown. 



May and June upon aspen (Fopulus trevnda) in rolled 

 leaves; also sometimes upon P. canescens, P. alba and 

 P. nigra. 



Pupa light brown, in a cocoon of earth and silk m the 

 ground. 



This handsome species sits by day on the trunks or bushes 

 of poplars or aspens to which it flies back— or to another tree 



