216 



ANTHERtEA. Bv Dr. K. Jordan. 



hazina. 



calida. 



inorosa. 



fcnloni. 



scrgesius. 



A. yamamai Guer. (34 b). The shaft as well as the lateral processes of the antennae of the (^ longer 

 than in A. pernyi and ^4. mylitta, the segments not blackish at the base in J and $. First subcostal branch 

 of forewing alwaj's branching off from the cell, the subcostal of hindwing further from the base than the lower 

 median. The genitalia of the (^ are particularly characterised by the long bristles (about 8) on the upper pro- 

 cess of the valve only being moderately thickened, and segments 8 and 9 not being strongly chitinized dorsally 

 and not prolonged to form a distally widened process. The outer margin of the forewing distinctly wavy, espe- 

 cially in the ^ ; the median band of the forewing is always close to the base of the upper median branch. The 

 black ring of the ocellus of the hindwing is anteriorly widened to form an elongate spot into which the yellow 

 colour of the ocellus does not penetrate. The blackish submarginal spots of the underside are longer and farther 

 away from the margin than in A. pernyi and form a more or less contiguous lunate line, at least on the fore- 

 wuig. The ground-colour is very variable. We distinguish five principal tvpes, which are connected by all 

 yamainai. transitions and not local, and were regarded as species by Butler: f. yamamai Gmr. is light yellow in the ^ 

 with moderate brownish red suffusion ; the 9 paler yellow, brownish red distally to the black and white discal 

 line. In f. hazina Bull, the yellow ground-colour is almost entirely covered with brownish red. f. calida Bull. 

 is uniformly reddish brown, f. morosa Butl. (34 a) is the darkest form, uniformly dark brovvn. f. fentoni Bull. 

 (34 b), on the other hand, is a more or less grey form. Finally we mention as ab. sergestus Wtstw. the $ de- 

 scribed by Westwood as a species; it stands between f. hazina and f. fentoni in colour and has exceptionally 

 much red in the ocelli of both wings. — Larva in the first stages pale yellow with black stripes ; when full-grown 

 greenish yellow, the warts yellow with black spines, glossy silvery spots laterally. On Oak; can also be bred 

 on Chestnut. Cocoon greenish yellow or yellowish green, not rough, without a distinct stalk. The silk of Japan- 

 ese cocoons is easily reeled and is very tough ; it is difficult to dye with ordinary methods and is usually worked 

 in with the mulberry silk. A. yamamai is confined to Japan, but during the last 40 years attempts have been 

 made in various countries to acclimatise the moth, so that in collections specimens are met with labelled 

 China, Csylon, Northern India, Spain, etc. — The history of the introduction of the moth into Europe is 

 quite romantic. It was interdicted in Japan under penalty of death to export living eggs, pupae or moths. In 

 1860 the French consul Duchesne de Bellecourt managed to obtain secretly a larger number of eggs and to 

 send them to France, where they arrived in February. Several larvae pupated and one moth (a 9) was obtained, 

 so that Guerin-Meneville could describe and figure the egg, larva, cocoon and $. Shortly afterwards, in 

 1863 a Dutch doctor stationed in Japan, Pompe van Meedervoort, shortly before leaving for Eurojie obtained 

 eggs of yamamai hidden in a cane from one of his pupils who was particularly attached to him, and brought 

 them safely to Belgium. The species was successfully bred from these eggs. Since then the moth has been 

 introduced in various districts of Europe (Spain, France, Italy, etc.) for the production of silk. But the silk 

 of the cocoons bred in Europe is inferior in quality, and the yield is of no importance for the silk industry. 



pcrinjl. A. pernyi Guer. (= constans Stgr., confuci Moore) (34 d). Antennae of cJ with shorter pectinations than 



in ytniuunai, the segments of ^ and ? black at the bases. The first subcostal branch of the forewing does not 

 origiiiate from the cell, but is stalked with the other subcostals, usually branching off beyond, or close before, 

 the fork formed by the two other subcostals ; cell of both wings slenderer than in yamamai, subcostal of hindwing 

 at the same level as the lower median vein, and therefore more proximal ihsiW my amaynai. Segments 8 and 9 

 of abdomen more strongly chitinized dorsally in the J, forming a process projecting anadand being strongly broad- 

 ened at the apex, the bristles of the clasper thicker than in yamamai. Colour less variable than in that species, 

 ground-colour yellowish grey to reddish brown, in the ^ usually less bright than in the $. The glassy pupil of 

 the ocellus of both wings round, usually circular, the black ring narrow, on the hindwing only slightly widened 

 anteriorly, on the widened part filled in by the yellow or yellowish brown of the ocellus. The lines and outer 

 margin of the wings even, the discal line rarely slightly wavy. The blackish submarginal spots of underside 

 short, separate, further away from the margin than in yamamai. — Egg brown, without the spots and black 

 dots of yamamai. Young larva black, the warts with white hairs; later on green, the upper warts orange, the 

 most ventral ones blue, all clothed with black hairs widened at the tip, above the stigmata a longitudinal 

 line, in the last stages silvery spots stand beside some of the warts; numerous white short lanceolate hairs 

 are distributed over the sides and back. On Oaks, easy to breed and much more robust than yamamai; also 

 takes Chesnut, Carpinus and other deciduous trees. Cocoon with short stalk, wrapped in leaves by means of 

 rough silk. — The species is distributed from the Amur to Southern China, and in India is represented by 

 royli Moore. The silk exported from China (Chinese Tussore) is largely obtained from this species. 



A. pernyi has two broods in the year, and hibernates as pupa; the summer cocoons contain twice as 

 much silk as the winter ones, but the silk is coarser and darker than the spring silk and is especially used for 

 export to Europe. Development from the egg to the moth takes on an average from six to seven weeks. The 

 moth (in nature) is said to be found from the spring (May) till the late summer. The result of its introduction 

 into Europe has not been so successful as was expected; but the species is still being kept domesticated in 

 different places in Spain, France and on the Balearic Islands. 



