Aglaope — I NO. 85 



FAMILY IV.— ZYG^NID^. 



Rather small moths, with thick bodies and long fore-wings ; the latter are rounded behind, and 

 are either unicolorous green or blackish, or very dark blue or green, spotted or striped with red, 

 yellow, or white ; the hind-wings form a rather long triangle, rounded at the apex, and are either 

 of the colour of the fore-wings, or grey, or red, with black hind margins ; the abdomen extends 

 beyond the anal angle. The antennae are generally thickened suddenly before the tip, and are 

 rarely pointed. The eyes are naked, and the palpi are short and pointed. The fore-wings have 

 two internal nervures, the first of which is angulated towards the base, and eleven other nervures. 

 The hind-wings have eight nervures, and the costal and subcostal nervures either unite or are 

 connected by a small oblique nervule. The legs are short, with flattened scales, and the front 

 tibiae are provided with a leaf-like appendage. The moths fly heavily by day, and hold their 

 wings sloping when at rest. They are found during the summer months in open glades, in 

 meadows, or on flowery slopes near the sea or a river, and settle on the heads of composite 

 flowers, such as thistles, scabious, &c. Many species are found only on a limestone soil ; and 

 they are all very local and gregarious, swarming in one spot, while in another close by, and 

 apparently quite as attractive, scarcely a specimen is to be found. They are generally 

 abundant wherever they occur ; and it is no uncommon thing to see half a dozen on the same 

 flower-head, along with various other insects. The larvse have si.xteen legs, and are thick and 

 short, shaped like a woodlouse, and covered with fine satiny hair. They have a very small head 

 and small legs, and hybernate when young. In spring they undergo their transformations in a 

 thick parchment- like cocoon, of a shining white or yellow colour. 



GENUS I. — AGLAOPE (LATR.). 



Antennae of the male with two rows of pectinations ; the hind tibiie have spurs at the end 

 only. The larva is covered with small warts, which are clothed with bristly hairs, and the cocoon 

 is egg-shaped. The only species, A. Infausta (Linn.), is black, with a red collar, the wings 

 thinly scaled, and the hind-wings broadly blood-red at the base and along the inner margin. 

 Expands i inch. Inhabits France, Italy, and Spain, but does not extend to Britain ; and is 

 confined in Germany to a few localities in Rhenish Bavaria, Nassau, and the adjacent parts of 

 Rhenish Prussia. It is found in July. The larva is violet ; the upper part brown, with a yellow 

 stripe on the back divided with darker, and a whitish stripe on the sides. It may be found in 

 May, feeding on sloe, &c., and is very injurious to fruit-trees in some parts of France. The 

 moth is figured at PI. 21, Fig. i. 



GENUS II. — INO (leach;. 



Wings unspotted ; fore-wings green, blue, or brown ; the hind-wings grey or blackish; antennae 

 of the male with two rows of pectinations, which are thickened at the ends and placed obliquely 

 forwards ; hind tibia; with spurs at the end only. The larva as in Aglaope ; the cocoon rather 

 long. The genus may be divided into two sections, according to the shape of the antennae. 



A. The shafts of the antennce pointed towards the tip. 



I. I.Ampelophaga {^■3.y\€). — Fore-wings umber-brown and narrow; hind-wings blackish, very 

 short, not more than two-thirds of the length of the fore-wings ; body covered with shining 

 bluish-green scales; antenna; very long, with long pectinations in the male and short ones in 



