MALAOOSOMA. l^y Dr. K. GmrNBERG. 151 



binatidii (if roloiir ajjd markings. P'irst he distinguishes ah. quercus Enp. (= queroina Sdys), which has Hght quercus. 

 oclircou.s irr()nn(l-(-'()h)ur, the fore wing l)earing inchstiuct bands. Specuniens in wliich these hands are confluent 

 in tlie centre Tittt names ab. ochruc&i-confiuens. When the sjiace between the bands of tlie forevving is filled 

 with a dark colour so that a dark transverse band is formed we have ab. annularis Geoffr.; in ochmcea-fracta annularis. 

 this transverse band is interrupted in the centre; in ab. ochracea-unicolor it is obsolete. The forms with yellow 

 or brownish yellow ground-colovn-, to which also the type belongs, are arranged as follows: In ab. confluens confluens. 

 Selys the bands of the forewing touch below the cell; in virgata Tutt as in the ochreous annularis Geoffr. they vinjala. 

 are filled with a dark colour; in fracta Tutt they are similar, but interrupted in the centre; and ab. concolor fraclu. 

 fib. nov. {= unicolor Tutt, nom. preoec.) comprises unicolorous brownish yellow specimens resembling oc/wacea- '^">"-" '>''■ 

 unicolor in markings. — Of specimens with light brown ground-colour Tutt distinguishes ab. cervina with distinct cervinu. 

 yellow bands on the forewing, and, analogous to the preceding, cervina-virgata (= neustrius Haw.), the space 

 between the bands dark, cervina-fracM, the band interrupted, and the uniformly brown cervina-unicolor . — 

 The ground-colour of vulgaris Borkh. is reddish brown, the bands of the forewing distinct; in specimens which mlijaris. 

 are also reddish brown these bands may vary as in those of a different colour, and be filled in with dark, inter- 

 rupted or obsolete (= rufescens- virgata, fracta-unicolor Tutt); ab. pyri Scop, has the ordinary markings, but is pi/ri. 

 rust-red in colour and may be mocbfied into rufa-confluens, rufn-virgata, fracta and unicolor Tutt according to 

 the development of the markings. — Eggs dark grey, arranged spirally in broad tightly closed rings on twigs. 

 Larva with wliite dorsal line accompanied on each side by two thin lines, wliich are reddish yellow like the 

 broader lateral stripe. Hairs brownish. Head as well as segments 1 and 2 with two velvety black spots, seg- 

 ment 11 with a tubercle; stigmata black. Until June gregarious on fruit-trees and different deciduous trees, 

 sometimes injurious. Gkaeser once observed the East- Asiatic form testacea near Vladivostock in such immense 

 numbers that all the oaks for a considerable distance were stripped bare. Pupa black with short brownish hair, 

 in a soft wliite cocoon. The moth, which emerges at the end of June and in July, is common everywhere in the 

 area of distribution. The species occurs in some years in such abundance that it is injurious to fruit-growing. 



— Between this and the following species should be placed the very similar North American forms M. disstria 

 Hbn. and americana F. 



M. castrensis L. (24 c). ^■. Head and thorax light yellowish grey, abdomen brown. Forewing above casirensis. 

 greyish yellow, with two oblique dark brown transverse bands, the inner one running from the middle of the 

 costal margin to the base, the outer one placed beyond the centre ; at the apex of the cell a more or less distinct 

 bridge from cne to the other : beyond the outer band a submargnal dark shadow. Fringes yellow with two dark 

 spots. Hindwing dark brown with light fringes. Underside dark brown, forewing beyond the centre with 

 light transverse band, and light apical spot; hindwing greyish yellow at the costal and outer margins, with 

 median band of the same colour. $ dark reddish brown, bands of the forewing as in the t^, but yellowish grey 

 and separated. Underside of both wings with oblique light median band. The species is very variable. Europe 

 to Central Asia, even in the Arctic Region, as well as Andalusia and (probably) Greece. — ab. taraxacoides taramcol- 

 Bell. is pale yellowish, the bands are scarcely indicated; hindwing darker. France, England. — veneta Stndfs. J,*;^,^ 

 cj : Head and thorax brown, forewing with brown median band and broad brown margin ; $ quite dark brown, 

 only With a narrow light central band in the forewing. Northern Italy ab. hilleri Stndfs., likewise from Northern Mlkri. 

 Italy, is uniformly brown in both sexes. — kirghisica Stgr. (24 c) is considerably paler than the type, wth blacker kmjkisica. 

 band on the forewing and whitish median band on the hindwing, $ with yellow forewing bearing indistinct 

 brownish bands. Anterior to Eastern Asia. — As in neustria Tutt adds to the already named forms the aber- 

 rations consisting of combinations of colour and markings and calls uniformly light yellow J'cJ with obsolete 

 bands on the forewing, unspotted fringes and greyish brown hindwing, ab. pallida; forewang yellow with in- pallida. 

 distinct markings, hiiKhving dark brown: obsoleta; ^vith darker bands on the forewing: ab. intermedia; when oftsofcto^^^^ 

 the forewing is brown (as in ab. hilleri Stndfs.), but with distinct brown bands, we have ab. brunnea Tutt. Fore- j"j^[/,"g^_"'" 

 and liindwing dull brown, the former with distinct yellow bands and basal area; the centre of the wings en- 

 closed by the bands and the marginal area more reddish : virgata Tutt. Fore- and hindwing uniformly dull brown viryata. 

 without markings: unicolor Tutt. Forewing reddish brown with yellow bands and basal area as in virgata: rufo- unicolor. ^^^^^ 

 virgata Tutt. Forewing redchsh brown without light basal area, only with the two light bands: bifasciata Tutt. 'j^^^lj^"' 



— Eggs grey, similarly to those of neustria deposited in broad rings on the stalks of plants. Larva with black 

 spots and dots on a greyish blue ground, with whitish dorsal line edged by two broad reddish yellow, irregularly 

 interrupted longitudinal stripes. Lateral lines also reddish yellow. Stigmata black. Hairs yellomsh. Until 

 June at cky sunny spots on heather, Euphorbia and various other low-growing plants ; when young gregariously 

 in a loose whitish web. It pupates in May or June. Pupa and cocoon similar to those of neustria; .the moth 

 emerges in July. Very local and during the last decades becoming rarer in many districts ; when flushed it 

 flies by day on meadows and mountain slopes, on the alpine meadows up to almost 2000 metres and locally 

 abundant. , ! ' 



l . rf M. franconica Esp. (= dorycnii Mill.) (24 d). cj: Deep black-brown, with yellowish median band on franmnim. 

 fore- and hindwing and light fringes, as well as indistinct subbasal band in the forewing. Median baud on the 



