Dasychira. ro9 



the body, and the hhid-wiags are one-third as long. The wings are without markings, and 

 nervules 6 and 7 are wanting in the fore-wings of the female. The only species is P. Morio 

 (Linn.). The male is blackish, with semi-transparent wings, and the female is yellowish-grey, 

 with yellowish fringes. Expands from three-quarters of an inch to an inch. It is widely 

 distributed in Southern Europe in June, but is commoner, and extends further north in the 

 east than in the west. The larva is blackish-brown, with six rows of rust-coloured tubercles. 



GENUS III. — DASYCHIRA (STEPH.). 



Body stout, especially in the female ; the wings moderately broad, fore-wings with the hind 

 margin oblique; grey, with dark transverse stripes; abdomen as long as the hind-wings in the 

 male, and much longer in the female. The larvs have four or five tufts on the 5th and the 

 succeeding segments ; a longer tuft on the 12th, and generally two on the 2nd segment. When 

 the moths are at rest, they stretch out their hairy fore-legs in front. 



I. D. Selenitica (Esp.). — Fore-wings olive-grey, dusted with darker, in the male, and dark grey 

 in the female, with a white lunule filled up with dark, and a white wavy line before the hind 

 margin; hind-wings black. Expands i| inches. Very local in Germany (except the north-west), 

 and in Russia, in May. The larva is black, with five yellowish-grey tufts, black at the tips, 

 and three longer black tufts of hair. It lives from July to April on low plants, such as Oiwbrychis 

 sativa and Latliyriis prateusis, and, local as it is, is often sufficiently abundant to be a destructive 

 insect in the few localities where it occurs. The moth is figured at PI. 24, Fig. 3. 



* 2. D. Fascclina (Linn.), {Dark Tussock). — Fore-wings ashy-grey, finely dusted with black, 

 with two black transverse lines bordered with orange, a suffused whitish lunule, and unspotted 

 fringes ; hind-wings pale brownish-grey. The Lapland variety Obscnra (Zett.) is darker, and 

 nearly unicolorous. Expands from ij to 2 inches. Common in Europe and the Altai in June 

 and July. The larva is grey, with five tufts, white below and black above, and three longer black 

 tufts of hair. It feeds on various trees and plants from autumn to June. The transformations 

 are figured at PI. 24, Fig. 4, a — c. 



*3 D. Pudibimda (Linn.), {Pale r«jj-oif/£).— Fore-wings pale grey, dusted with darker, and 

 with three dark grey transverse stripes, of which the first and third are slightly dentated, and the 

 second is quite straight ; fringes spotted with dusky ; hind-wings pale grey, with a suffused dark 

 stripe before the hind margin. Expands from if to 2\ inches. Common in most parts of Europe 

 in May and June. The larva is greenish-yellow, with black incisions, yellow tufts, and a long rose- 

 coloured tuft above the tail. It lives on various trees and plants in September and October. 

 The male, female, and larva are figured at PI. 24, Fig. 5, a — c. 



4. D. Abietis (Esp.). — Fore-wings white, shaded with pale brown, with a sharply-defined 

 lunule in the middle surrounded with black, and three black transverse stripes, the middle one 

 broad, and the others narrow, sharply dentated, the third with a long tooth extending to the 

 lunule ; the fringes spotted ; hind-wings brownish-grey in the male, and whitish in the female. 

 Expands rather more than U- inches. A very scarce species, found in Southern and Eastern 

 Germany, South Sweden, and Russia in June and July. The larva is green, spotted with black 

 and white, and with black incisions, with four brownish tufts, yellow on the sides ; two longer black 

 tufts on the 2nd, and a yellow one on the 12th segment. It may be obtained from autumn to 

 May by beating pines and firs {Piiius picca and Abies). The larva and moth are figured at PI. 24, 

 Fig. 6, a, b. 



