Puhl. 1. VI. 1912. TARASA. By Dr. A. Settz. 345 



marked like a bird's egg points in the same direction. I do not know the cocoon of HypJwrma mhia x, but 

 have found cocoons of the closely allied genus 8copelodesvf\\\c\\ also show the peculiar markings like the veining 

 of wood. Therefore, the genus Monema must be considered valid, but the name has been rejected as preoc- 

 cupied. — The wing-contour issimilar to that of the other Miresa. Forewing yellow on the proximal half, 

 this colour gradually fading away into the brown outer area. A distinct central dot may be present on the 

 forewing and also a subbasal line, a median one and a submarginal one, from the costal end of the submar- 

 ginal line a thm oblique line sometimes run to the centre of the wing; but all the dark lines also may be 

 quite thin or indistinct. A specimen obtained by in Japan in July byme beating has especially prominent mar- 

 kings, the yellow colour contrasting more strongly withthe chestnut outer half, while my sijecimens from North 

 China are more uniform in colour and almost as dull in marking as the examples from Amurland. My Ja- 

 panese specimen is a captured one, while I bred the Chinese ones, and this might therefore explain the 

 difference. — ■ The larva is green with broad violet-brown dorsal stripe, and armed with setiferous warts; it 

 feeds on deciduous trees, particularly Elm, and rests on the underside of the leaves. Korb figures the larva, 

 the setiferous tubercles being distinct in the figure, long on the anterior and posterior segments, and 

 much shorter on the central ones. The dorsal stripe is irregular, being widened on the thoracical segments in 

 the shape of a shield. The caterpillar spins in the autumn a very pretty whitish cocoon, with markings like 

 a bird's egg consisting of minutely divided dark longitudinal splashes, the cocoon being thus rendered similar 

 to that of the Javanese Setora nitens. In this cocoon the larva remains till the next June without changing 

 into a pupa. The species is exceedingly numerous, the larvae occurring in abundance on all kinds of deciduous 

 trees, but full-fed larvae are often parasitised. The cocoons have lately been brought to Europe in cj^uantities, 

 but only a few give results, many dying because the unchanged larva appears to suffer much more from 

 transport than the pupa. 



13. Genus: Parasa Moore (Neaera H.-Schdff.). 



This is one of the most con.spicuous and beautiful genera among all the Heterocera. Their chief or- 

 nament is the magnificent apple-green colour of the forewing, which very effectively contrasts with the brown or 

 violet basal and marginal markings. The colour is protective and much more efficient than one might be 

 inclined to think on viewing a set specimen. When I was once occupied searching for larvae I examined witli 

 the eyes a young tree very carefully and at some length and noticed a copulating pair of Parasa consocia on 

 the underside of a leaf. In order to beat it down I knocked against the branch, with the result that more than 

 30 specimens fell down. Of this number of bright-coloured moths I had only jjerceived 2 with my eyes, 

 so effectively had they been concealed by their leaf-green colouring ! Some larvae of Parasa urticate considerably, 

 the poisonous hairs being situated on the anterior and two posterior tubercles. The sting is as painful as that 

 of a bee, and tlie pain lasted with me 3 — i hours. Herr L. Klaphek told me that he still felt the sting 

 the next day, so that tiie intensity of the effect appears to be different with different persons. In spite of this 

 excellent weapon the larva is sometimes parasitised, but is apparently avoided by reptiles and birds. It is green, 

 l)ut easily visible (in contradistion to the moth) on account of its queer, somewhat oblong, shape, and remains 

 evidently unmolested. I have seen the larvae of P. consocia leave the eggs, gradually di.sperse in clusters 

 over the tree and nearly all arrive at the pupal stage; very rarely a larva was missing, and at the end of the 

 season the trees attacked by them were denuded of the last leaf. 



KiRBY already enumerated more than 50 species of Parasa in 1890, of which however many will be 

 treated as varieties as soon as the larvae have become known. But it is quite certain that a large number 

 of hitherto unknown species are in existence, Africa, which is so little explored as to its Heterocera, the interior 

 of Madagascar, the Indian Archipelago and, above all. Farther India being promising countries. Moreover, 

 many a fine moth so far known only as purely Indo-Australian will be added to the Palearctic fauna when the 

 boundary districts of our Region are better explored. In continental British India alone no less than 14 species 

 have been found, many of which may be expected to occur across the border on Palearctic territory. Parti- 

 cularly the exploration of Tibet promises a rich harvest. Of the continents only Europe, Australia and South 

 America are so far devoid of true Parasa; the genus is poorly represented in North America; in Africa south of 

 the Sahara the species are very numerous, but they are entirely absent from the districts north of the Sahara. 



Head of medium size, Irons flat-truncate. Palpi short, porrect, segment 3 very small. Antenna of 

 ^ serrate or in proximal half bipectinate. Thorax smooth-hairy. Abdomen woolly, rough-hairy, short and 

 stout, obtuse and strongly humped. The forewing variable in shape from being almost oval to obtusely triangul- 

 ar. The legs short, strong, densely hairy, the tarsi hairy, obtuse at tip. In the forewmg subcostals 1 and 2 

 near apex of cell, 3, 4, 5 stalked; the discocellular strongly angulate, the intracellular vein dividing the cell into 

 a larger upper portion and a smaller lower one. In the hindwing the lower portion of the cell is the larger one. 



The larvae are scutiform, sometimes oblong on account of the presence of prolonged tubercles laterally 

 at the fore and hind ends; the poison hairs soft, sometimes restricted to those longer protective tubercles, some- 

 times evenly distributed over the dorsal and lateral warts, in the young larva more evenly dispersed and thinner, 



II 44 



