( 261 ) 



XXII. On the Genus Eratelna, Douhl. ; with Descriptions 

 of some new Species. By W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., 

 F.R S., &c. 



[Read May 7lh. I860.] 



The genus Erateina was established by the late talented Lepi- 

 dopterist Edward Doubleday, in a paper read before the Ento- 

 mological Society, and subsequently published in the 5th volume 

 of the Society's Transactions. It was formed to include certain 

 very interesting moths of the family Geometridce, natives of the 

 mountain regions of tropical America, the males of some of the 

 species being very remarkable for a curious fold of the inner 

 margin of the posterior wings, the use of which still remains an 

 enigma unsolved. E. Douhleday described five species, which are 

 well figured in the volume of Transactions before referred to, and 

 these he divided into three sections, according to the amount of 

 prolongation of tiie posterior wings into a tail-like process, which 

 gives a very peculiar appearance to some of the species. Since 

 the publication of E. Doubleday's paper, little has been done to 

 increase our knowledge of this genus, the only additions to it 

 being made by Mons. Herrich-Schseffer and Mons. Guenee, the 

 former describing one new species in his " Lepidopterorum 

 Exoticorum," Nos. 75 and 7G, under the name of radiaria, be- 

 longing to Doubleday's 3rd section, and the latter author, in the 

 " Suites a BuflTon — Lepidopteres," vol. 10, another new species, 

 belonging to the same section, and to which he gives the name of 

 siliquata. He also raises Doubleday's variety of lantlie with red 

 bands on the anterior wings to the place of a species, calling it 

 Iphisata, by the use of an affix to Iphis, the name suggested by 

 Doubleday for this remarkable variety. Ihis brings up the 

 number of species to eight, and I have now detected in the rich 

 collection of the British Museum and my own collection six ad- 

 ditional species, for which we are indebted to the exertions of 

 recent collectors, and of which descriptions will be found here- 

 after. These are still derived from the elevated parts of tropical 

 America, and especially from the vicinity of Bogota, which appears 

 to be the head-quarters of the genus. One of the recent dis- 

 coveries, which I have named Regirta, is particularly elegant and 

 chaste in its markings and colours, and, at the same lime, the 

 largest in size yet brought to our knowledge. 



