CEETAIN VARIETIES OF SPILOSOMA LUBRICIPEDA. 95 



Signoret also states that the larva of A. aureiim and the larva of 

 Pollinia cosUe have the anal tubercles of Coccids. Consequently, 

 it seemed to me equally imiDossible to leave these genera amongst 

 the Lecanids proper. And so, in 1883 and 1887, I grouped 

 Pollinia and Asterolecanium with Kermes. 



Professor Targioni has, I believe (though I have not seen his 

 paper), lately in 1893 made further observations on Astero- 

 lecanium aureum, and concluded that it is really a Planchonia. If 

 that is so, it must have the anal tubercles of a Coccid. Possibly 

 it may be found some day that A. miliaris and A. hambusce are 

 in like position. As to A. quercicola, I have long had doubts 

 about it ; and, indeed, whenever anybody has sent me specimens 

 under the name of Asterolecanium, I have always found them 

 turn out to be Planchonia fimhriata, Fonscolombe. Perhaps, 

 therefore, the whole genus may have to be abandoned some day, 

 and Pollinia and Lecaniodiaspis may share the same fate. But 

 (and this is the important point for the present) until Signoret's 

 statements quoted above remain uncontradicted, there is a genus in 

 which the larva is Coccid and the adult Lecanid, called Astero- 

 lecanium, and this must therefore be placed in a group with 

 Kermes, intermediate between Lecanids and Coccids. Planchonia 

 is altogether Coccid. Tbe two genera must therefore be sepa- 

 rated, and under no possible conditions can either of them be 

 placed with the Lecaniodiaspidae. Pieasoning such as this I 

 believe to be the only true basis of proper classification. 



(To be continued.) 



ON CERTAIN VARIETIES OF SPILOSOMA LUBRICIPEDA. 

 By W. H. Tugwell. 



During 1892 and '93 I bred in some numbers from two 

 selected forms of Sjnlosoma lubricipeda, and the following note may 

 be of interest. 



S. lubricipeda, as we know it in the South of England, is not 

 a particularly striking species, the principal and characteristic 

 markings being an oblique row of more or less clearly defined 

 dots or short streaks, starting from the apical costal margin to 

 the centre of the inner margin on the fore wings, whilst on the 

 hind wings two or three black dots or spots comprise the typical 

 London form. 



In 1892 I was at Hailsham in company with Mr. Porritt, 

 who had with him a lot of pupae of S. lubricipeda, the imagines 

 from which were then fast emerging, and from which he was 

 expecting to breed some vars. of tbe radiata of Curtis ; but not 

 one of them proved of that type at all, the form shown being 

 quite in another direction, viz., they (that is, a goodly number of 



