56 A CHAPTER ON ZYG^NA MINOS. 



wings have a broader grey margin. The second character is 

 of less importance, and less striking than the first, since the 

 spot reaches little beyond the transverse vein, then suddenly 

 expands on both sides, projects a tooth obliquely over the 

 third branch of the median vein, and has its hinder margin 

 not hollowed. Whether this is a constant form, or whether 

 connecting varieties occur, must be ascertained by the com- 

 parison of a greater number of specimens of Z. Minos from 

 Southern Europe. Though these three specimens show much 

 agreem.ent in the form of the spot with Ochsenheimer's de- 

 scription of Z. Pluto, yet the other characters given by 

 Ochsenheim.er are far too contradictory to allow one to pro- 

 nounce this with certainty as the true Zi/gcena Pluto. It 

 is possible that Keferstein had specimens similar to these 

 before him as Pluto ; however, he should have taken more 

 notice of the form of the middle spot if he had wished to 

 give us complete certainty. 



From Professor Hering I received a beautiful pair of a 

 Zygwna, very closely allied to Z. Minos, with the inquiry, 

 whether I considered it distinct? For after he had found 

 the whitish larvae of Z. 3Iinos plentiful on Pimpinella 

 Saxifraga in the fortification trenches at Stettin, he found 

 four weeks later, in a plantation, on dry sand, many orange- 

 yellow larvse on Thymus Serpyllum, and from these he 

 obtained a number of this Zygcena. Not the difference of 

 food, nor locality, nor the appearance of the larvae, but the 

 peculiarities of the two perfect insects, decided me to answer 

 the question in the affirmative. Since I also had found 

 some years ago, after I had always found the larvae of Z. 

 Minos on Pimpinella Saxifraga j yellow larvae plentifully on 

 Thymus Serpyllum in dry sandy pkces ; from these 1 

 expected Z. Filipendulce, and, to my astonishment, obtained 

 specimens which I could not distinguish from Z. Minos. 



