228 



BRAHM^A. By Dr. A. Seitz. 



grey to blackish, when young with* two" horns rolled up at the ends on segment 2 and two similar ones 

 on 3; the remaining segments only have small knobs, the anal segment bears an also very strongly curved 

 horn resembling that of the Sphingidae. When full-grown the larva is smooth, segments 2 and 3 swollen, on 

 the anal segment a stumpy immp. Markings and colour very variable, frequently confined to a few small black 

 streaks or bright-coloured spiracular dots. According to Statjdinger the larvae of the East -Asiatic form are 

 much more brightly marked and coloured than the almost uniformly dark larvae of ledereri of Asia Minor. Ac- 

 cording to KoRB the larvae often live in companies of from 20 to 30 specimens and prefer rather sunny sterile 

 localities; until July or August on Privet, Syringa, Ash, Phillyrea and other trees; when disturbed they emit 

 a cracking or crackling noise. They pupate without a cocoon in or on the ground beneath stones; pupa 

 blackish, very strongly glossy, clumsy, stumpy at both ends, deeply incised between the segments, rounded at 

 the abdominal end, the cremaster a short point. The moth appears in June in Eastern Asia. 



chrisiophi. B. christophi Stgr. (35 b). Larger, clumsier, often also darker, but otherwise very like the preceding 



and perhaps only a form of it. The wavy lines of the upper side of the hindwing less sharp towards the margin, 

 where they are sometimes even almost obsolete, the median line of the hindwing less curved in its costal por- 

 tion, and less convex towards the base, the basal ar^", intensely and deeply black, especially on the underside. 

 — The larva lighter, almost whitish, with thin black markings, and bright red dots dorsally on segment 3, aud 

 red stigmata; shape and first instars as in the preceding. But while the larva of ledereri lives gregariously in 

 sunny spots that of christophi is found singly in shady woods in damp spots (Korb). Until July on Asli. Pujja 

 with two black knob-like warts on the thorax; very glossy, black; beneath moss, stones, etc. Moth in April and 

 May. From Lenkoran in the Caucasus. 



japonica. B. japotiica Butl. (= mniszechii Feld.) (35 c). Smaller than the preceding, more grey and often tinged 



with greenish. The median band of the forewing is strongly widened in the costal area; lighter and ornamented 

 with small rings. These are nearly always asymmetrical; Leech did not find one symmetrical individual among 

 15 in Pryer's collection and the same applies to four specimens collected by me. The original of our figure 

 also has on the right forewing (not reproduced) much fewer rings than on the wing figured. The median band 

 also varies rather strongly in its innermarginal portion. Now it is more now less constricted on the lower median 

 vein; but nearly always it forms an ocellus-like disc-patch. The species also varies considerably in the whole 

 nigrans. scheme of colouring, and nigratis Bull., unknown to me in nature, is probably only a dark specimen, japonica 

 is also closely allied to the Indian conchifera Butl. and is onlj' a Xorthcni form of wallichii Gniy (= spectabilis 

 Hope), which we figure in Vol. 10, its ground-colour shading into greyish green and that of rufescens Butl. into 

 reddish. These latter are Indian forms, which perhaps vary slightly according to locality, but belong to one 

 species. But if Leech places ivallichii with certhia, he is in error. — jajmnica is not rare near Yokohama; occus 

 also in other localities on Honto, and is also found at Hokkaido. 



Ali)lial)etical List 



of the Palearctic Brahmaeidae with a reference to the original descriptions. 

 * signifies that the species in also figured in the ijlace eitcd. 



earppnteri Br. Biiil. Ann. Nat. Hist. (5) 11, i^. lit. 

 (■orlhia Br. 7^. Ent. Syst. 3 (1), p. 412. 

 rhristophi Br. SU/r. Kom. Mf'm. L(ip. 2, p. Ki. * 

 japouiea Br. Bnil. Ent. Month. Mag. 10, p. 5(!. 



ledereri Br. Rqhfr. Verh. zool.-hot. Ges. Wien 23, p. 574. 

 lunulata Br. Brem.&Grey. Motsrh. Et. d'Ent. 1, p. 01. 

 nigrans Br. Hull. Ent. Month. IMag. 17, p. 110. 



