Pnbl. 23. IV. 1910. LACYDES; ALOA. By Dr. A. Seitz. 89 



A. unifascia Walk. (15 h). Forewing white, with broad median band irregularly dentate at both unifascia. 

 edges, and with numerous small spots varying in shape and size, especially at the costa and inner margin. 

 Hindwing with a few small spots on the disc and before the outer margin; the ground-colour is usually 

 somewhat duller than on the forewing, even being suffused with dark brown in ab. varia Walk. Kashmir, varia. 



A. phasma Leech (15 i). This species, which Leech placed in the genus Thyrgorina (also sunk by phasma. 

 Hampson), and which really differs rather strongly from the preceding, has the thorax and wings creamy 

 white; collar and abdomen orange-yellow, the latter with rows of dots dorsally and laterally. The fore- 

 wing is densely irrorated with small pale yellowish grey spots arranged in transverse lines; darker spots at 

 the apex of the cell and before and beyond the middle of the costa. In West China. Only the (J known. 



53. Genus: L^acydes Walk. 



In Kirby's Catalogue this genus is composed of various species inhabiting partly Asia and partly 

 Africa. The latter non-Palearctie species Haiipson places in the genus Maenas, whose affinity to Lacydes 

 is evident. Distinguished from Spilosoma by the more pointed forewing, smaller hindwing, slenderer build 

 and much greater agility. It is said of s-pectabilis that it is attracted by baits; its tongue must therefore 

 functionate and not be so much reduced as in all other allied genera, such as Spilarctia, Spilosoma, 

 Diaphora, etc. Otherwise very little is known of their habits. 



L. spectabilis Tausch. (= intercisa Dup., incisa Frr.) (15 i). The long pointed abdomen of both, speclabilis. 

 sexes, the straight costal margin and long apex of the forewing, acutely pointed in the ^, the small hind- 

 wing, etc., are characteristics enough to separate this and the following species from Arctia and Diacrisia. 

 Thorax ivory yellow, with dark markings; abdomen orange with strong blackish bands, in the $ some- 

 times almost entirely blackish; hindwing creamy white with numerous small dark yellowish grey spots, 

 which merge together to form stripes and almost uninterrupted chains. Hindwing with broad submarginal 

 band of the same colour, in the $, moreover, with strong markings in the basal area. From Central 

 Russia to Syria eastward through Anterior Asia to the Altai and Tian-Shan. The form annellata Christ, annellata. 

 (15 i) has the spots on the wings light ochreous, partly narrowly edged with black, the submarginal band 

 of the hindwing is often reduced to a few small spots, and the abdomen purer yellow; from Turkestan. — 

 Larva above dark grey blue, with yellow hairs, the segmental incisions yellow; lateral stripe white, stig- 

 mata red. Until June on low-growing plants; the moth in July and August. 



L. semiramis Stgr. This moth, which is unknown to me in Nature, is placed by Hampson in semiramis. 

 the genus Maenas, composed of Indian and South American forms and agreeing in many ways with 

 Walker's Lacydes. It is pale greyish yellow and has dark spots on the forewing, which are partly 

 arranged in transverse chains. The hindwing is very sparsely spotted, with brown discocellular lunule. 

 The moth comes from Syria. 



54. Genus: Aloa Walk. 



This genus has the same pure white or ivory ground-colour as Spilosoma, as well as the 

 brightly coloured abdomen, but the costal margin of the forewing is also vividly coloured and in con- 

 junction with a collar of the same shade presents a characteristic study in colour, especially when the 

 insect is at rest. The Aloa are usually large and strongly built moths with large head, very broad, flat, 

 often brightly coloured frons, aborted tongue and relatively short and porrect palpi. Antennae short, in 

 the $ scarcely more than one-third the length of the costa, in the true white forms (Amsacta) setiform 

 without real teeth or pectinations. The thorax much raised, so that the head lies far down on the breast 

 and when viewed from above entirely disappears under the prothorax, a characteristic which we also observe 

 in the doubtless closely allied genera Bhodogastria and Creatonotus. Thorax beneath usually bright red 

 at the sutures on a white ground; the foretibia Hkewise bright red, while the other legs are white. Fore- 

 wing lanceolate, narrow and pointed, hindwing moderately large with rounded outer margin and pointed 

 apex. Moore places the genus with the very closely allied Phissama, Kkby unites it with Bhodo- 

 gastria, Hampson distributes the species over Diacrisia, Amsacta and other genera, We place here about 

 a dozen, partly very closely allied, species, which touch our region in various localities in Asia. 



A. lactiiiea Cr. (= frederici Kirby, marginata Moore) (15 i). In its especially large Palearctic Jaciinen. 

 specimens, one of which from Tsingtau we figure, tliis is the largest species of the genus, pure white with 

 the abdomen striped with black and orange above and the costal margin of the forewing blood-red. 

 Distributed from Kashmir over Northern India and the larger portion of China to Japan. — Larva 

 black with strong warts, bearing long bristly hairs, laterally scarlet spots and tufts of reddish brown hair. 

 Moore names Menispermum glabrum as the foodplant for India (from Grote's MS.). The larva is 

 doubtless polyphagous and feeds on various low-growing plants; it hibernates and in May pupates in an 

 ovate cocoon intermixed with hairs, the back of the abdomen being much swollen in the pupa, and the 

 moth appearing in July (in the North). The moths are not rare and come to the light, resting in day- 



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