M8 . THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



MiM^sEOPTiLus, AVallgn. 

 Pterodactylus, Linn. 

 Fuscus, Ritz. 

 Fuscodactykis, D.L. 

 (Plate III., Fig. 4.) 



Imago. — Expanse, 11 lines. Ground colour of fore wing cinnamon- 

 brown, darker brown along the outer digit, and the costal margin dotted 

 with black to the middle. The markings are inconspicuous, a short streak 

 from the base nearly to the middle of wing formed of blackish dots, and a 

 blackish twin-spot at the digital juncture ; a minute black spot at the 

 angle of outer digit, and two others near tip of inner digit, are the only 

 distinct markings. Fringes rather greyer than the ground colour. Tip of 

 outer digit acute and produced. Hind wing brown, with a purple tinge ; 

 fringes slightly paler. July. 



Larva. — Length 5 lines, slightly attenuated towards anal extremity. 

 Head smaller than second segment, whitish, with a tinge of green and 

 much spotted with blackish ; mandibles brown, ground colour green ; seg- 

 mental divisions yellowish green. Dorsal line dark ohve-green ; subdorsal 

 and spiracular lines whitish. Tubercles, two dorsal rows (four on each seg- 

 ment) with tufts of moderately long hairs, one hair of each tuft rather longer 

 than the others, whitish ; subdorsal, one on each segment, with a tuft of 

 short hairs. Spiracular, one on each segment, with a few moderately long 

 hairs. Prolegs and claspers semitransparent, with a green tinge ; the 

 former spotted with brown and the latter tipped with black. Food, ger- 

 mander speedwell (Veronica ChamcBdrijs.) When young, feeds in the 

 shoots, afterwards on the flowers, eating the petals. May and June. 



Pupa. — Anterior portion whitish green, posterior portion whitish, 

 suffused laterally with brownish. A narrow reddish dorsal line may be 

 traced most distinctly in the region of thorax and hinder segments of body. 

 Head truncate ; eyes prominent, yellowish ; thorax humped ; body rounded ; 

 wing-cases have their lower third detached from the body. June and July. 



Plate III., fig. 4, germander speedwell {Veronica Chammdrys) ; 4 «, 

 larva ; 4 h, pupa ; 4 c, imago of M. pterodactytus. 



I have generally found the larva of this species on the plants 

 of speedwell growing on sunny banks, old walls, and such localities, 

 and the perfect insect may be readily obtained by beating, or rather 

 stirring, the herbage in these places. 



It will be observed that descriptions of the larvae of two 

 species, viz., M. pterodactylus and A. galactodactylus have already 

 appeared in these pages ; but it has been thought desirable to 



