Species of Indo-Malayan Heterocera. 81 



Family Erebiidae. 



We cannot believe that the genus Argiva ami its allies can 

 belong- to the family Catocalida3. It seems to us that Argiva 

 has no relation whatever to the genus Catocala; their struc- 

 ture is completely different ; they have enormous black 

 densely hairy extensile organs (" coremata ") upon the dorsal 

 surface of the tegumen, almost hiding the armature of the 

 delicate valves. These alone confirm, by the absence of the 

 large scaptilum of Catocala, that the relationship is mistaken. 

 PI. X. fig. 20 shows the genitalia of Argiva hieroglyphica 

 (the type of Argiva), fig. 21 that of fraxini, Linn, (the type 

 of Catocala), copied from Pierce's ' Genitalia of British 

 Noctuidpe,' fig. 23 that of the common European species, 

 nupta, Linn. ; note the entire absence of the coremata and 

 the asymmetry of nupta, which is usual in Catocala and its 

 relatives. 



The habits of life of such of the species as are known to 

 me are entirely different to those of the Catocalida3 ; they are 

 crepuscular and mostly cave-dwellers, very quick and sharp 

 in their short flights, the males darting forwards and attack- 

 ing those that pass, much after the manner of some of the 

 butterflies of the family Nymphalidre. This is particularly 

 the case with Patula macrops ; 1 have watched them in the 

 caves of the Island of Elephanta in the Bombay Harbour. 



Genus Argiva, Hiibner. 



The genitalia of the different forms of Argiva are very 

 similar ; the differences are so slight, they may arise from 

 mounting. .1 give the figure of the costa of A. hiero- 

 glyphica, the type of the genus (text-fig. 15). There appears 

 to be no difference in any of the mounts except the " costa," 

 which varies slightly under different names. 



Argiva lunar is. 



Boca?ia lunaris $, Walker, xxxi. 57 (1864). 



Nyctijxxs hieroglyphica, Hanipson (part.), Thai. xii. p. 275 (1913). 



Hob. Celebes, Gilolo. 



A perfectly distinct species, sexes alike. I have both 

 sexes from N. Celebes and Gilolo (text-fig. 18). 



Ann, <£• Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 9. Vol ii. 6 



