57 



REMARKS ON SOME PSYGHIDS 



by T.-A. Chapuian, il. D. 



In the Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique, 

 tome 50, p. 97, are some remarks (1) that appear to require a 

 Word from me. 



As to P. moncauneLla, this species is distinguished from 

 angustella var. bicolorella by its larger size, 22 mill. {hicolorella 

 14 mill.), by the red colour increasing in intensity to the end of the 

 abdomen, where it contrasls brilliantly with the black anal tufL. 

 In hicolorella, the colour fades towards the end of the abdomen and 

 rarely reaches it. Further, this coloration is uniform without 

 variation in ail spécimens of moncaunclla. Bicolorella présents 

 much variely, from angustella simply, onwards to a tinting that 

 ahvays falls short of that which is uniform in moncaunella. 



As regards Psyché atra L. (-= opacella HS.), my note insisted 

 on two points, that the spécimen is a genuine original Linnsean 

 spécimen, with Linntean label « atra »; and that it is without a 

 shadow of doubt the species so long known as oj^acella, HS. 

 Against thèse two facls. D'' Heylaerts présents some items of 

 circumstantial évidence of no weight whatever. I may however refer 

 to his several points : 



a) Linnseus said atra was about the size of Musca carnaria. 

 D"" Heylaerts says opacella bas at least double the expanse. Walker 

 gives Musca carnaria an expanse of 24-26 mill. Hruand gives 

 opacella 19-20 mill. and plumifera 13 mill. The facts therefore 

 make Linnseus' statement applicable to opacella, quite absurd as to 

 plumifera. 



h) That Thunberg took plumifera and named it hieracii, seems 

 to render it very unlikely that he gave the spécimen to Linnseus 

 to be named atra; the hieracii (== plumifera) is in Thunberg's 

 collection. Atra of Linnaeus, though captured by Thunberg, is 

 presumably in the Linnœan collection. Though he does not 

 definitely say so, his language leads on to suppose it was given to 

 him by Thunberg. One admits the value of the spéculation making 

 atra = plumifera, when the Linnsean spécimen was unrecognised, 

 but equally one now sees it is mère spéculation. 



c) I must admit my error as to the occurrence of plumifera in 



(1) Heylaerts. — Remarques sur quelques Psychides. 



