PSODOS — PvGMy^NA. • 333 



costa ; in the female the wings are short and rounded. The antennae of the male are pectinated, 

 and the abdomen is slender, especially in the male. There appears to be only one variable species, 

 which flies in barren rocky places in the French and Swiss Alps ; its supposed occurrence in Ireland 

 is more than doubtful. D. Tenebraria (Esp.) is dark shining brown, with a rather indistinct central 

 spot; without lines, or, in variety Torvaria (Hiibn.), with a light, dentated, and generally suffused, 

 transverse stripe beyond the middle; on the under side there is a whitish stripe just before the 

 hind margin, which is somewhat widened on the costa of the fore-wings. The hind-wings are 

 strongly contracted longitudinally, and extend far beyond the inner margin of the fore-wings. 

 The variety Inituptaria (Herr.-Schiiff.), from Carinthia, has the markings obsolete, and shorter 

 wings, and the variety Wockearia (Staud.), from Trafoi in the Tyrol, has on the under surface 

 a very distinct white submarginal stripe, and a white apical streak at the tip of the fore-wings. 

 Expands from i to i| inches ; it appears in July and August. 



GENUS LVI. — P.SODOS (TR.). 



Small moths, with dark-coloured wings, either without markings ; with two dentated 

 transverse lines ; or with a broad yellow transverse band ; the female with fully-developed wings. 

 They fly by day, from June to August, in the mountains of Europe, and expand about i inch, 

 or a little more or less. 



I. P. Alpinata (Scop.), Horridaria (VV. V.). — Wings dark brown, with a yellowish lustre, 

 the transverse lines very indistinct, or quite invisible. Inhabits the Alps, Pyrenees, and the 

 mountains of Silesia. 



* 2. P. Comcina (Esp.). — Wings brownish-black, dusted with whitish, with a black central 

 spot, sharply-dentated black transverse lines bordered with whitish, black marginal dots, and 

 the subterminal line indistinct ; the under side is iron-grey, with the hind margin a little lighter. 

 Inhabits the mountains of Northern and Central Europe, including those of Scotland. {P. 

 Trepidaria, Hijbn., from the higher Alps, is greenish, varied with rusty-yellow.) 



3. P. Alticolaria (Mann). — Resembles Coracina above, but greenish, and with a more con- 

 nected marginal line ; on the under side there are two silvery-white subterminal lines, partly 

 bordered with black. Inhabits the .Southern Alps. 



4. P. Quadrifaria (Sulz.), Alpinata (W. V.), Equcstrata (Borkh.). — Wings black, with a broad 

 orange-yellow transverse band before the hind margin. Larva pale dull yellow, slightly tinged 

 with yellow at the extremities, and with a white stripe on the sides. It feeds on low plants, 

 especially dandelion, in spring and autumn, and constructs a soft cocoon of grains of earth, and 

 vegetable refuse. Common in the Alps, &c., in summer. The moth is figured at PI. 47, Fig. i. 



GENUS LVII. — PYGM.KNA (BOISD.). 



Antennae of the male thick and pectinated, body slender, wings delicate. The only species, 

 P. Fusca (Thunb.), has brownish-grey wings, paler and narrower in the female ; the fore-wings 

 with a dark central spot, and two scarcely-dentated transverse lines. The female expands one- 

 half and the male three-quarters of an inch. Inhabits the high Alps and Scandinavia, flying 

 by day, in July and August. The female is much rarer than the male. The larva is short, 

 very slender, shagreened, and covered with short fine hair. It is reddish-brown, with a broad 

 paler band on the sides. It passes the winter under the snow, feeds till summer on various 

 low plants, and forms its cocoon in moss or dry leaves. 



