518 



PSYCHE. 



[September 1S93. 



pointing inwardly, and in many instances 

 connected between their apices by narrow- 

 black lines following the nervules. Beyond 

 this dark band is a band of paler color, den- 

 ticulated inwardly, and irregularly angulated 

 and denticulated outwardly. The second- 

 aries are reddish-brown shading into ochra- 

 ceous upon the costa and at the base. On 

 the under side, the primaries are hoary upon 

 the costa and the outer margin; the median 

 area broadly and uniformly maroon defined 

 outwardly by two parallel dark curved lines 

 running from the costa to the inner margin 

 before the outer angle. The inner margin 

 near the base is smooth, shining pale yellow- 

 ish. The secondaries are of the same color 

 as the primaries laved with maroon upon the 

 median area and toward the base. The trans- 

 verse outer lines of the primaries are contin- 

 ued upon the secondaries. Expanse: $, 50 

 to 70 mm ; $ . 75 to 130 mm. 



Mr. Kirby has referred the preceding 

 species to Moore's genus, Taragama, which 

 he places among the Pinaridae. I accept the 

 reference of this and the other species herein 

 described to this genus provisionally. 

 Taragama is, however, as Mr. Hampson has 

 shown, a Lasiocampid genus. 



Mr. Good has been quite successful in rear- 

 ing this species from the larva, and I shall 

 have occasion later to more fully describe its 

 life history. The last batch of specimens of 

 this species sent to me was reared from larvae 

 which were evidently underfed and are dwarfed 

 in consequence. A brood was taken in the 

 branches of a tree called Ntyei overhanging 

 the bank of the river. Mr. Good says, "When 

 first found, the least disturbance would cau*e 

 them all to fall off of the branches. I won- 

 dered how this would work, where they over- 

 hung the water until a few days ago, when I 

 saw a caterpillar much like these fall into the 

 water. It did not seem to be in the least 

 disconcerted, but drawing its abdominal end 

 forward under itself, and then forcibly 

 straightening itself, swam quite easily. I 

 have no doubt that this and many related 



species, the larvae of which are generally 

 found hanging over the water, can swim." 



Gastroplakaeis, Moschl. 



170. G. forficulatus, Moschl. $. Front, 

 collar, patagia and thorax pinkish-brown. 

 The patagia are fringed inwardly with long 

 erect hoary hairs. The pectus and thorax 

 below are hoary-gray. The abdomen is 

 rufous. The primaries are rosy-brown, shad- 

 ing on the outer margin into hoary-gray. 

 They are crossed by obscure, transverse 

 basal, sub-basal, and geminate limbal and 

 sublimbal dark brown lines. They have a 

 very distinct patch of dark black raised scales 

 at the end of the cell, margined narrowly by 

 pale gray. The secondaries are fuscous, 

 shading into rufous at the base. On the 

 under side, both wings are brown with the 

 costae and the outer margins profusely 

 sprinkled with hoary scales. Expanse 95 

 m m . 



Mdschler erected his genus Gastroplakaeis 

 for the reception of an insect of which he 

 knew only the male. The female which I 

 describe corresponds sufficiently, in the light 

 of what I know in reference to the succeed- 

 ing species, with the male of G. forficulatus 

 to justify me in reckoning it as that sex of 

 Moschler's species. Moschler laid stress upon 

 the formation of the brush of hairs at the 

 extremity of the abdomen. This was no 

 doubt due in the specimen before him to the 

 expanded posture of the male claspers, and is 

 not either of generic or specific value, as is 

 shown by numerous specimens in my posses- 

 sion. The genus, however, is very well 

 marked, and the female especially differs in 

 curious particulars, noticeably in the high 

 and conspicuously tufted inner margins of 

 the patagia, from other African Lasiocampid 

 genera. The genus is quite as remarkable as 

 Pachypasa and Gonometa on account of the 

 wide dissimilarity in size and marking 

 between the two sexes. 



