THE ENTOMOLOGIST 



Vol. XXXVI.l SEPTEMBER. 1903. TNo. 484. 



TWO NEW SPECIES OP LEPIDOPTERA FROM THE 

 WADY EL NATRON, EGYPT. 



By William Warren, M.A., F.E.S., and the Hon. N. C. Roth- 

 schild, M.A., F.L.S. 



(Plate IV.) 



During a small expedition of the junior author and Mr. 

 Francis Henley to the Natron Valley, five species of Lepidoptera 

 were secured, of which two — a Noctuid and a Geometrid — are 

 new, and are here described for the first time. All the speci- 

 mens in question came to light. 



Metachrostis costiplaga, sp. nov. Figs.: 1, ^; 2, ?. 



Fore wings pale or dark ashy grey, the transverse lines fine, black, 

 edged with yellowish ; first at about one-third, vertical, forming three 

 small curves ; second from five-sixths of costa to three-fourths of 

 inner margin, sinuous, more or less parallel to the hind margin ; 

 orbicular stigma round, touching first line; reniform with only the 

 lower inner edge visible, the rest being lost in a large cream-coloured 

 blotch lying within the sinus of the outer line, and starting from 

 middle of costa ; submarginal line pale, indistinct, in the female edged 

 by a dark line ; marginal line dark ; fringe grey, chequered with 

 darker. Hind wings white, with a slight discolouration towards hind 

 margin extending over the three median nervules, expanded in the 

 female into a slight submarginal cloud, darkening the veins, and 

 marked beyond by a dark marginal line and shade in the fringe, whicli 

 is otherwise white. Under side of the fore wings bluish white, with 

 the fringe and cell-spot dark ; the hind wings cream-coloured. Head 

 and thorax dark grey ; palpi cream-coloured, the third joint dark ; 

 abdomen cream, legs cream-coloured, the tarsi dark spotted. Expanse 

 of wings : male, 26 mm. ; female, 28 mm. 



ENTOM. — SEPTEMBER. 1903. T 



