HEPIALUS. By R. Pfitzneb. 435 



m Ireland and Western France, but is also widely distributed elsewhere as an aberration (Alps, Lapland; a 

 Hepialid from the Caucasus measuring 70 mm, from the collection of the Grand Duke Nicholas, which was 

 imfortimately lost, was said to belong here). — A new local variety closely alied to gallicus is aemilianus Con- aemiUanus. 

 stantini, from Upper Italy (Montegibbio, Fiumalbo, Prov. Modena), wliere it flies in September. It is distmguish- 

 ed from gallicus by the uniform and more yellow colourmg and the uncheckered fringes. — ascoldensis Stgr., aacoldensis 

 from the Ussuri district and Askold, is smaller, darker, with the half obsolescent markings only distinctly vi- 

 sible at the inner margin. — Widely distributed through the Northern districts of the area as far as the 

 Pyrenees and Piedmontese Alps in the South. The moths are generally found in the moiuitains already 

 m June, but a specimen was caught in September at Sheffield. Unlike humuli, hecta and other species, fusco- 

 nehulosa is a very shy species with a rapid flight, found at the edges of woods and on meadows. Larva long, 

 rather stout, with strongly developed mouth-parts; head reddish brown to dark red, body creamy white or pale 

 green, pronotal plate yellowish brown, spots of the same colour on the anterior segments. A dark dorsal Hne 

 shining through. When young, more grey in colour. Lives underground m the rhizome of Pteris aquilina, mak- 

 ing a cavity for itself in the mterior of the plant. Biennial, t^^ice hibernating in the ground as larva, and in 

 May makmg a thui cocoon. The pupa is slender, stumpy posteriorly, reddish brown, sharply mcised, with 

 rows of small hooks and a projection on segment 12; the moth emerges m about four weeks. The pupa 

 bursts the cocoon before emergence, and forces a way out. 



H. carna .Ssp. (= jodussa .H6n., socordis i^rr., uredo i^)T.,) (54 e). Closely allied to the preceding species, cama. 

 but probably distmct. Grey with lighter and usually sharper markmgs, often transparent. Inhabits the moun- 

 tains of Central Europe (Alps, Carpathians) and in Hungary also the plains. — uralensis Gr.-Ghsh. is probably uralensis. 

 a form of carna; local varieties of this are distributed throughout Siberia as far as the Arctic zone (Vercho- 

 jansk). In this form the antennae are chestnut-brown; thorax greyish brown; abdomen and legs brown. Fore- 

 wing above browii, with irregular white spots, like a carna with obsolescent markings; hindwing brown. Ural 

 Mts. between 61" and 64". Vilui River (Maack), Olenek (Czekanovski), Irkutsk (Iltshirski-Saram, 1900 m). 



H. pyrenaicus Donz. (54 e). 3* greyish brown with ochreous and light markings, hiadwing with pro- pyrenaicus. 

 minently white fringes. The 9 of this species and of its local varieties are distinguished by aborted wings and 

 greatly enlarged abdomen, especially in the dark var. alticola Oberfh. (54 e, f). Eastern Pyrenees, var. alticola alticola. 

 on the highest peaks. Rare, found beneath stones. — var. castillanus Oberth. (54 f) was discovered in the Sierra rastiUanm. 

 de Guadarrama. Only the (J known, smaller than pyrenaicus, lighter, forewing with whitish markmgs, hind- 

 wing bro\vn; underside uniformly bro^vn, fringes checkered. Caught m June 1880 near La Granja in Old Castile. 



H. sylvinus L. (= hamma Hbn., fltna Esp., crux F., faima Schr.) (54 g). A new group begms with th-s sylvinus. 

 well-known species, to which group beside the subspecies of sylvimis, belong amasinus and probably nnbifer (sub- 

 genus Cihyra Walk.). The facies of sylvinus with the tj^pical scheme of markmgs of the Hepialids may be assumed 

 to be generally known. The colour of the ^ varies from loam-yellow to vermilion and chestnut-bro«ai, that 

 of the $ from ash}' grey to reddish brown in all shades. Caradja mentions a wonderful dark chocolate aber- 

 ration from the Transsylvanian Alps. The size also varies considerably. I have a pair from Sprottau, the ^ 

 measuring 23 mm m expanse, $ 47. The size and colouring depend largely on the climatic conditions, the small- 

 est and palest specimens occurring especially m the South (ab. pallidus Horm., in Bukovma and Roumania, palUdus. 

 Caradja). — Of laetus Stgr. two forms should be distinguished : true laetus Stgr. is the largest known form of laetm. 

 sylvinus, ^'ith intense colouring and sharjj markmgs; it occurs in Southern Russia; the other form, smaller, 

 paler, but also sharply marked, occurs m the adjommg Asiatic districts (Uralsk, Caucasus, Armenia, Turkestan). 

 — Widely distributed through North and Central Europe to Dalmatia and Central Asia. The moths appear in 

 August and September and fly at sunset, zigzaggmg over damja meadows. Emergmg towards evening they 

 settle until sunset on trees m avenues, where they are always easily collected. Larva ivory white with deepH 

 incised segments and folds. Head and dorsal plate orange-brown, mouth-parts black, stigmata bro%vn. When 

 young light flesh-colour with dark dorsal line shining through. Lives in the roots of sorrel, bracken, Echium, 

 etc., which it hollows out to a considerable extent, so that the plant withers. Each larva lives iia a se- 

 parate plant; the tunnel is spiral, the opening closed up. Pupa glossy brown, spiui up in a tunnel like the 

 larva; leaves the cocoon before emerging. 



H. amasinus H.-Schdff. (54 e). Is distinguished from sylvinus especially by the course of the three amasintis. 

 bands of the forewing, which are on the whole parallel, and the broad checkered frmges. — Asia Minor (Pontus) 

 and Southern Europe to Istria (Pola), where it occurs in September. Local and rare. 



H. nubifer Led. (53 h). (^ similar to sylvinus in body, legs, antenna and shape of wings, most like the nuinfer. 

 grey form ; distinguished from sylvinus by the shape of the median area, which is more as in cartia. Forewing 

 dull grey, with wood-brown spots and bands edged with dull yellow. Four small spots at the costal margin, 

 another small one touches the second obliquely, a wedge-shaped one stands rather close to the base and 



