Pitbi. 5. X. I'.ni. 



ENDROMIS; MIRINA. By Dr. A. Skitz. 193 



11. Family: Endromididae. 



This family really only contains one Palearctic moth, Endromis versicolora, which is undoubtedly 

 allied to the Saturnids and Bombycids. The position which Statjdinger and Rebel assign to it in their cata- 

 logue between the Lasiocampids and the genus Lemonia is not well chosen, but these authors place at the 

 end of the Lasiocampids the strongly aberrant genus Bhima (= Pyrosis), as we have done also in order 

 to avoid unnecessary changes, and so a kind of bridge is actually formed by this genus, which approaches 

 the Bomljycids. Kirby places Endromis between Theophila, a genus allied to Bomhyx niori, and Brahrnaea, 

 in which he was not far from right, as is evident from the caterpillar of Endromis; but he interpolates bet- 

 Ween these two neighbours numerous American genera which might better be put elsewhere, and thus the 

 connection is lost. Endromis has no near relative in America, but if one would prefer to place it with American 

 genera, the best position would be between Felder's Hygrochroa and the Ceratocampidae, which latter corres- 

 pond to a certain extent to the Old World Brafmiaea, as will be shown under tliis genus. However, Hampson 

 deals with Endromis in a very different manner, placing it with the Lasiocampids, which he regards as a branch 

 of the phylogenetic tree far removed from the Saturnid branch. 



We place into this family also a species of moths which stands ratlier isolated if one takes it from 

 its present certainly incorrect position, viz., Mirina christophi Stgr. It has nothing to do with the Saturnids 

 and cannot possibly remain there. It is also not closely allied to Brahrnaea. But we do not intend here to found 

 a new classification, or to criticise existing schemes. It therefore suffices to say that Mirirm is not a Saturnid, 

 stands somewhat isolated and is most closely i-elated to that group of Bombyces which comprises the Endro- 

 mididae, the Bombycidae and the Lasiocampid genus Bhima ( = Pyrosis), which is closely related to the Bombyces. 



Resembling the Bombycids in the shape of the wings and in facies. The wings with produced, somewhat 

 falcate apex; the liindwing with very moderately convex outer margin. The venation agrees very nearly with 

 that of the neighbouring families Drepanidae and Bombycidae. On the forewing vein 5 originates closer to 4 

 than 6, on the hindwing 8 is curved and approaches 7. The frenulum is absent as in Brahrnaea. and Bom- 

 bycidae. When full-grown the larva is naked, green, smooth, with a hump on segment 11, and lateral oblique 

 stripes, so that it bears a (superficial) resemblance to the larva of Sphingidae; when young the caterpillar 

 has thorns, which are moveable in Mirina. Tliis similarity to the Sphingidae, however, is only due to conver- 

 gent development; the green smooth appearance is protective colouring; the oblique stripes imitate the 

 veins of leaves and run in a contrary direction to those of most larvae of Sphingidae. The moths are on the 

 wing in the early spring, the pupa often lies for years before developing. 



1. Geiiu.s: £ii(lrouiis O. 



Moths clothed with dense long hair, and having thinly scaled checkered wmgs. Tongue obsolescent; 

 palpi short, liidden in the wool of the head. Antennae bipectinate, the branches long in the (^. Legs strong, 

 clothed with woolly hair. Forewing pointed, with strongly curved distal margin. Larva green with a pyramid- 

 like hump oia the penultimate segment; it is full-grown in June, and pupates in a parchment-like cocoon. 



E. versicolora L. (= versicolor L., versicoloria Hfngl.) (35 d). Anteianae black; collar white, suffused versicolora. 

 with blackish; wings checkered with brown, grotmd-colour of the hindwing oclireous in the (J, whitish in the $. 

 Sometimes the spots of the forewing are suffused with reddish in the ?; in specimens from the high North 

 the ground-colour is dulled and the entire colouring darker; this is lapponica Ban. Egg oval, rose red. Larva lapponica. 

 when young black and bri,stly, later green, dorsally lightest, with minute white transverse wrinkles. The three 

 anterior segments with lateral lines, the others with white oblique stripes edged with green. But while the oblique 

 stripes of the Sphingidae run from posteriorly above to anteriorly below, they are here directed from anteriorly 

 above to posteriorly below. The larva lives from May to July on Birch, Alder, Hazel, Hornbeam, and other 

 shrubs, more on bushes and suckers than on the liigher branches. It pupates on or in the ground, in a parchment- 

 like cocoon. Pupa black with bristly curved cremaster. Like most of the early spring-moths it often hiber- 

 nates twice or several times, the moth appearing in Central Europe in the second half of March or in April. The 

 cJ leaves the cocoon m the morning and until 10. 30 remains with the wings folded close to the body on 

 tree-trunks and branches, seldom on old halms of grass. Then it takes to the wing, the flight being rapid and 

 buzzing. The $ flies at night. The species is widely distributed, being absent from scarcely any large ai-ea, and 

 in certain years not rare. Central and Northern Europe, northward to Lapland, southward to Northern Italy, 

 and from France to Eastern Siberia. As in some other species the moth flies considerably later in Amurland 

 than in Central Europe, in May. 



2. Genus: ^liriiia Stgr. 



Statjdinger described the only species of this genus as rather isolated, and placed it with the Saturnids, 

 next to the Endromididae. It is, however, certamly. less closely allied with the former than with the latter family, 



II 25 



