2 74 European Butterflies and Moths. 



straight, but curved a little outwards towards the hinder angle, and slightly shaded outside 

 with darker. Hind-wings with the continuation of the central shade and transverse line, 

 the latter broader than on the fore-wings. It is found in South Russia and Armenia, ami 

 resembles Zethes Insularis in its habits. 



GENUS IX. — OPHIUSA (OCHS.). 



Middle-sized moths, with rather slender bodies; the fore-wings strong, with the hind 

 margin long and a little oblique ; brown or violet-grey, often without stigmata, the sub- 

 terminal line sharply zigzag, but indistinct or incomplete ; the hind-wings rounded and as 

 long as the abdomen ; the legs woolly in the two last species. The larvae resemble those 

 of Catocala in shape, and the moths fly by day, and do not slope their wings much when 

 at rest. 



1. O. Cailino (Lef.). — Fore-wings with the basal area bluish - black, the central area 

 reddish-yellow, and the marginal area dark grey 'as far as the subterminal line, and bluish- 

 grey beyond. These shades are all bounded by the transverse lines ; the inner line is 

 black, double, oblique, and waved ; the elbowed line is much angulated, and the subterminal 

 line is double, brown, and waved. The central shade is composed of two straight reddish 

 lines. The reniform stigma is small and narrow, brown bordered with black, and the fringes 

 are reddish-brown, preceded by a row of small black and white dots. Hind-wings white, 

 with a broad black border, waved in the middle, and with a large white spot in the middle 

 outside; fringes white, a little blackish in the middle. Expands nearly \\ inches. It is common 

 in South Europe and Western Asia in May and August, and may be taken on the flowers of 

 the lavender with the aid of a lantern. The larva feeds on Salix viniinalis. {O. Stupida, Herr.- 

 Schafif., from Turkey, has brown fore-wings, with black transverse lines, the inner line 

 nearly straight and the elbowed and subterminal lines waved, the former bordered with white 

 inside, and with a broad reddish stripe outside ; hind-wings greyish-brown, with a whitish 

 central stripe, and the fringes white, interrupted with blackish. 0. Panaceorum, Mdn^tr., 

 from South Russia, is yellowish-grey, varied with brown, and with black transverse lines, the 

 inner line acutely bifid, the elbowed line strongly curved inwards, and the submarginal line 

 marked towards the tip with five arrow-headed spots ; hind-wings white, with a square black 

 spot in the middle, and a black submarginal band. O. Flexuosa, M^n^tr., from South Russia and 

 Western Asia, has yellowish-grey fore-wings, dusted with brown, and black transverse lines ; 

 the inner line oblique, the elbowed line curved strongly inwards below and bordered by a 

 brown fascia, broadly forked outwards in the middle, and the submarginal line dentated ; 

 hind-wings white, brown towards the base, and with a broad black submarginal band.) 



2. O. Stolida (Fabr.). — Fore-wings dark olive-brown, dark violet-grey on the costa 

 and hind margin, with two pale yellow transverse lines hardly extending to the costa, 

 the inner line straight, broad, and perpendicular, the elbowed line consisting of two curves ; 

 hind-wings dark brown, with a white central stripe and a white spot near the anal angle; 

 fringes white, spotted with brown in the middle and at the anal angle. Expands about 

 \\ inches. Inhabits South Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia in July, and the larva 

 feeds on bramble. 



3. O. Bifasciata (Petagna), Geovietrica (Rossi). — Fore-wings broadly violet-grey on the 

 costa and hind margin, with a large dark olive-grey triangle on the inner margin, intersected 

 by a broad, straight, rather oblique, and yellowish-white transverse line, and bordered behind 

 by a similar, but rather narrower one ; hind-wings dark grey, with a straight white suffused 



