Puhl 13. XII. 1910. DASYCHIRA. By Dr. E. Strand. 113 



especially after hibernation, the dorsal hairs acquire a sulphur-yellow tinge, but this always vanishes 

 after the moult. The larva feeds on all kinds of low-growing plants, especially on Sarothamnus, but 

 also attacks various deciduous shrubs; it may be fed up on lettuce, hibernates when one-third grown, and 

 pupates at the beginning of June in a blackish grey cocoon intermixed with the hairs of the larva, the pupa 

 being clothed with brownish hairs dorsally. The moth from the end of June to August, very well con- 

 cealed and difficult to find in daytime. The larvae are common almost everywhere, but are not so abun- 

 dant as is often locally the case with selenitica. 



D. fortunata Eogenh. (19 g) is most closely allied to fascelina, but is distinguished from it by tixe fori unata. 

 more elongate body, slenderer build, especially the shorter and slenderer abdomen of the (J, darker colour 

 and different markings, the transverse stripes of the forewing being especially much more acutely dentate 

 and without the yellowish patches of scales of fa.scelina. The pectinations of the antennae of the (J of fascelina 

 diminish in length much more strongly towards the tip. Canary Islands. — The pale yellowish green eggs 

 are deposited in rounded clusters sparsely covered with wool on the needles of Pinus canariensis, the food- 

 plant of the larva. The latter is black with two narrow yellow dorsal lines, and on segments 4 to 8 dense white 

 dorsal tufts of hair, on segments 1 and 11 black pencils of hair. Pupa reddish bro-mi with three ochreous 

 spots and yellow hair; cocoon ovate, among pine-needles in a dirty brown web. At Las Palmas the moths were 

 observed in large numbers in the autumn, the ^(^ swarming like those of Lymantria monaclui, and being pur- 

 sued and devoured by the Asilid fly Promachus latitarsatus, while the $$ rested on the shady side of the trunks. 

 As the larvae, pupae and moths appeared in great abmidance at the same time, the period of flight does 

 not seem to be sharply defined. The insect is so common as to be noxious. 



D, abietis Scliiff. (19 g). Forewing very brightly marked with greyish white and blackish grey, the abielU. 

 transverse bands and discoidal spot black, the wavy line in the marginal area white. The white colour is most 

 prominent in the basal area and in the basal half of the costal area. Thorax dark brown with whitish sides. Head 

 whitish. Abdomen and hindwing in the (J dark grey-brown, in the $ whitish. From South Sweden and Russia 

 to Central and South Germany, and from the Carpathians through Bohemia and Lower Austria to South-West 

 Germany (Bavaria and Baden), but absent from large districts; sporadical and mostly rare. According to 

 Spuler Austrian specimens are whiter than South German ones, and northern individuals have the wings 

 less bright in colour with narrower markings. The name mediobscura iSc/wZte has been given to a 9 in which j«edioft.scum. 

 the median area of the forewing is much darker, so that the various darker transverse bands which are usually 

 present are scarcely recognisable. — Egg light greenish, larva light green with black segmental incisions, black 

 and white spots and reddish brown-yellow dorsal tufts which are lighter at their bases, the tufts of hair of the 

 first segment black, of the 11*'' segment brownish yellow. From the autunm until the spring on conifers. Pupa 

 glossy black, with brown hairs, esjjecially dorsally, in an ovate grey cocoon. Moth in June and July. The 

 larvae are beaten in the autunm from the branches of fir-trees overhanging the roads and are best kept during 

 the winter sleeved on firs protected l)y a roof, which however is not always a success. Forcing, by which 

 the moths may already be obtained in the autumn, is also frequently a failure. One must be careful to pick 

 out the most tender fir-needles for the small larvae, as they cannot eat older, harder needles; they leave the 

 egg in Aiigust or September. 



D. pseudabietis BuU. (= pryeri 5m</.) (19h). From Japan. ^ brown-grey or blackish, the basal area pscudo6i«to. 

 of forewing, which extends twice as far marginad at the costal as at the inner margin, is silvery grey, but so den- 

 sely dusted with dark that the ground-colour is partially concealed, and in the marginal area there is a silvery 

 wliite narrow transverse band or line. Between tliis band and the margin a row of black spots, often confluent, 

 and the fringes are indistinctly spotted with black. In the median area the angulate discocellular spot only indi- 

 stinct. Hindwing with lighter inner margin, and the fringes spotted with greyish white. Underside whitish, M'ith 

 black discocellular spots, and greyish discoidal area on the forewing ; 50 mm. $ greyish white with the hindwing 

 slightly darker, forewing rather densely dusted with black, an almost straight black transverse line in the 

 basal third and an abbreviated black transverse mark about midway between the cell and the margin; 

 the discocellular spot large and halfmoon-shaped. Fringes of both wings white with black dots. Underside 

 of hindwing with conical grey discocellular spot. — argentata Butt., from Japan, is said to be closely allied argentala. 

 to abietis, but probably belongs to pseudabietis; it is silvery white in the basal third of the forewing and at 

 the outer margin, otherwise with a grey smoky bro"wn ground-coloiir entirely covered with zigzag or wavy dark 

 black lines, of which those bounding the basal and marginal areas are the most distinct. Hindwing whitish 

 towards the base, otherwise the ground-colour like that of the forewing, with dark grey discocellular spot and 

 marginal band. Thorax greyish white, on the tegulae a black spot and on the metathorax a black transverse 

 band. LTnderside of wings whitish brown with grey discocellular spot and discal band. (J 48 mm. 



D. pudibunda L. (19d). $: Forewing greyish white dusted with dark, and bearing dark wavy transverse pudibunda. 

 II 15 



