17.S 



SUANA; ARGUDA. By T)i . K. Gbunberg. 



idiola. 



undutosa. 



concolur. 



or forewing as in the ^. Hiii(l\\ing with broad diffuse dark median band. Amur and Ussuri districts. The 

 egg hibernates. Larvae on Ostrya and Quereus mongolica, gregarious until the last moult, Avhen they disperse. 

 Pupation in the middle of August. Moth in the middle of September, single (^(^ were still observed as late as the 

 middle of October, when the first snow had already fallen. The ?$ only live for a short time, and soon after 

 emerging copulate for about two hours. The eggs are densely covered with anal wool. The moths are easy to breed. 



B. idiota Gmes. (:29 d). Similar to eximia, somewhat slenderer. ^ deep blackish brown; wings 

 densely scaled, forewing with small round whitish grey chscal spot, marginal portion of both wangs grejash 

 yellow, in the hindwing the light colour extended basad in wedge-shape. The $ is dull brownish grey with 

 pale yellowish grey markings, body also uniformly brownish grey, anal wool greyish yelloM', not glossy. Amur 

 and Ussuri districts. — Larva dark grey, irregularly variegated with black and reddish, and with reddish grey 

 dorsal stripe. The short dorsal hair yellow and black, .sparse, the long lateral tufted hair yellow, much inter- 

 mixed with black on the thorax. The girdle-shaped spots on segments 2 and 3 velvety black with hair of the 

 same colour. On the posterior portion of the remaining segments two elongate black spots. Underside with 

 reddish yellow and grey markings and broad black median stripe. Larvae full grown in the late autumn, grega- 

 rious on the trunks of various deciduous trees, especially Prunus padus and Populus balsamifera, close together 

 in large clusters. The hairs of the larvae easily come off when touched, remain in the skin and caiise violent 

 irritation. In contradistinction to eximia the species is difficult to breed. The pupa hibernates. Moth in June. 



B. undulosa Walk. Very dark brown, almost blackish brown, hindwing and abdomen of $ somewhat 

 lighter, anal tuft light brown. Frons of (^ with ocln-eous or greyish yellow hair. Forewing with sharp linear 

 white discal spot, and five distinct white transverse lines as in eximia and idiota, the median one very strongly 

 bentate. Hindwing with broad, darker, proximally diffuse, postmedian band, whose outer edge is more prominent 

 decause bounded with a hghter colour. The species occurs only at the boundary of our region, being distributed 

 from the Himalayas throughout India to the Sunda Islands. The Himalayan form from Kashmir (Kangi-a) 

 is strongly variegated with grey in the $, and has the anal tuft white. This predominantly Indian species is 

 more specially dealt with in Vol. X. 



25. Geims: SSiiana Walk. 



Closely allied to Taragama Moore. Antennae of o fi'S in that genus with very long pectinations at the 

 base, which become considerably shorter at the apex, in the $ only dentate. Palpi long, porrect, extending 

 considerably beyond the frons, the tip slightly curved downwards. Abdomen of (J very long, extending by at 

 least half its length beyond the hindwing, ending in a long thin hairy point, in the $ also considerably longer 

 than the hindwing. Tibiae without end-spurs. Forewing narrow, with very pointed apex, especially in the 

 (J, hindwing of c? triangular, costal, distal and inner margins rather straight and forming distinct angles %\ith 

 one another, hindwing of $ broadly rounded. Venation and other characters as in Taragama. 



S. concolor Walk. (= bimaculata Walk., ampla Walk., cervina Moore) (29 c). (^ reddish brown to 

 very dcejj dark brown with a reddish tinge ; very dark specimens have a violet gloss on body and forewing. Fore- 

 wing with more or less distinct yellowish brown subbasal spot, silvery wliite shai'p chscal spot, and five some- 

 what diffuse narrow blackish dentate bands, viz., two subbasal ones, one discal and two postdiscal ones. ? usu- 

 ally- lighter than the o , reddish brown to light greyish brown, sometimes also dark 1)rown. forewing often strongly 

 suffused with grey, when the dark bands become more conspicuous. Hindwing and abdomen iisually pale greyish 

 brown, as is also a broad band on the forewing between the discal and first postdiscal transverse Lines. The 

 wliite discal spot is often of considerable size in the $, but may also be altogether ab.sent both in q and 9- Distri- 

 huteil thrt)ughout India, Ceylon, the Sunda Islands, to the Philippines, and northward to the Himalayas and Kash- 

 mir. The species shows an exceptionally strong sexual dimorpliism; the wings of the $ are at least twice if not 

 three times the length of those of the f^. While the^J is at most 55 mm. in expanse, the $ may reach 155 mm. 

 — Larva light brown, grey or greeJiish grey, with irregular black striae. Lateral warts bearing tufts of brown 

 hair, the strongly developed girdle-shaped spots on segments 2 and 3 densely clothed with black hair. Seg- 

 ment 11 with a rather high hump bearing black hair. Pupa dark brown with lighter incisions, in a yellowish 

 grey cocoon. Not rare, the qO especially trecpiently coming to the lamp at night. 



26. Genus : Arg;ii«la Moore. 



Antennae of ,^ with dense and long pectinations, the branches only gradually becoming shorter towards the 

 tip; in the 9 ^vith short branches. Palpi strongly porrect with long end-segment, the scahng rendering them 

 broad and shovel-like. Eyes densely hairy. Body covered with thick woolly hair, abdomen only shghtly extend- 

 ing beyond the anal angle of the hindwing. Forewing broad, triangular, with pointed apex, costal margin only 

 convex in the outer half, distal margin straight or angulate, almost at right angles with the straight inner mar- 

 gin. Hindwing broadly rounded. In the forewing vein 2 near the base, 3 from the middle of the cell, 4 

 and 5 close together from the lower angle, 6 and 7 on a short stalk from the upper angle of the cell, 8 

 shortly before it, 9 and 10 also on a short stalk. In the hindwing vein 2 from the middle of the cell, 3 shortly 

 before the lower angle of cell, from which originate 4 and 5 close together or stalked, 8 close to the base 

 anastomosing with 7 in a point or united with it by a short transverse vein, basal cell small and narrow, acces- 



