— 393 — 
that melanaria must be looked upon as the oldest form, as R, dose 
not yet coincidence with Sc, but a tendency towards this is pointed 
out by the anastomosing of these two veins. The next stage we see 
in grossulariata, sylvata and pantaria, where the coincidence is already 
completed, but the two latter are distinguished by the apparent ten- 
dency towards a coincidence of К. and R,. Adustata goes towards 
an other simplification having К, touching R, and marginata as the 
most advanced has lost the small cross-piece, which marks R,. 
If we compare these results with the gradual development of spe- 
cialisation of the lateral processes, we see, that there are none in mela- 
naria, but the upper margin of the valves formes a strongly chitinized 
edge, which we have no difficulty in recognizing in the rough, uneven 
lateral processes in grossulariata. It is evident, that this edge has sepa- 
rated from the valves in the rest of the species, gradually developing 
in the different groups. In sy/vata and pantaria it is more specialized 
than in grossulariata, in adustata, and still more in marginata it takes 
the aspect of a quite independent curved organ. 
Thus we have seen, that the results obtained from the venation 
and the genitalia cover each other completely. The question is now 
what taxonomic value should be attached to our 4 groups in Abraxas. 
By analogy with the other groups of Lepidoptera the essential 
differences in the venation and the structure of the genitalia suggest, 
that we must look upon them as separate genera. 
But such a separation has already been done by older authors, 
though it has not been appreciated by the later ones, who prefered to 
lump all these species. In 1815 Leach established the genus Abraxas 
with the type grossulariata L. (if Guénée and Hampson are correct. 
As I could not obtain a copy of the Brewster Encyclopaedia in which 
the genus has been described, I could not verify this). Hübner se- 
parated 1816 sy/vata L. into a separate genus Calospilos and established 
the genus Lomaspilis tor marginata L. Finally Guénée 1857 made 
adustata the type of a new genus Ligdia. 
As we see that these types are conform with our 4 groups of 
undoubtedly generic value, the corresponding generic names should be 
reestablished. 
Русск. Энтом. Обозр. XI. 1911. № 3. 
