( 258 ) 



Underside dull yellowish, with ;i few of the spots, but uo suffusion. Head, 

 thorax, and abdomen dull yellow, tinged in parts with ferruginous. 



Expanse of wings : 26 mm. 



Two S c? from Holnicote Bay to Owen Stanley Range, New Guinea (Rohu). 



Quite a distinct-looking species, its appearance suggesting a small species of 

 Ort/iogia. 



Family URANIIDAE. 

 7. Decetia torridaria. 



Auzea iurrklariu Moore, P. Z. S. 1867. p. 617. 



This species, originally described from a ? only, is retained by Sir G. Hampson, 

 evidently also without knowledge of the (?, in Aazen, Fauna Brif. India, Moths 

 iii. p. 120, where it is placed by itself in subsection B (antennae with uniseriate 

 branches) of his second section (both wings with vein 5 from above middle of 

 discoccllulars), being referred to the Uraniidae, as not possessing a frenulum. 

 I have lately met with a t? from Tonkin, which does possess a distinct frenulum 

 and small retinaculum ; so that the species, agreeing, as it does, in all points 

 with Decetia, must be transferred to the Epiplemidae. It is doubtful, however, 

 whether the presence or absence of the frenulum is in itself a valid reason for 

 maintaining distinct families ; the stalking or joint origin of veins 6, 7 of forcwings 

 seems a sufficient characteristic whereby to separate the Uraniidae as a whole, 

 including the Epiplemidae, from other families. 



As the i in question differs in certain points from the original description by 

 Moore and the brief snmmary of Hampson, both drawn from the ? , it will be well 

 to give a description of the Tonkin specimen. 



Forewings : dull grey-brown, covered with obscure blackish transverse striae, 

 which are densest in the outer marginal half; a rust-colourel, oblique, slightly 

 undulating line from inner margin at one-sixth to the subcostal vein above 

 the small dark discal spot, where it is obsoletely angled and retracted to costa ; 

 within the basal area is an oblique blackish cloud at base of cell, reaching from 

 the costal to the submedian vein ; an indistinct oblique median line, marked by 

 dark points on veins, and followed by a dark shade ; a zigzag, fine, submarginal 

 line from costa just before apex to inner margin at four-fifths, edged outwardly 

 by white scales and black points in the costal half, and preceded inwardly be3'ond 

 cell and above inner margin by a brown shading which fills up the luuules of the 

 line : fringe chestnut-brown, preceded below apex by some scattered white scales. 



Ilindwings : with a short rust-coloured line close to base, and indistinct traces 

 of the other two lines, the white edging of the submarginal line only visible 

 between veins 4 and 6. 



Underside paler, grey with darker freckles ; marginal area, especially in hind- 

 wings, dull orange-red ; forewings with apex blackish and an indistinct line of 

 submarginal black sjiots ; an oblique blackish outer line, jiointing to apex, but not 

 corresponding to either of the lines above ; in the hindwings this line is curved and 

 fades out before inner margin, and the submarginal black sj)ots form the points of a 

 zigzag blackish line. Face dark brown ; head, thorax, and abilomen like wings ; 

 anal tuft pale ochreous. 



Expanse of wings : 56 mm. 



1 S from Tonkin, Than-Moi, June— July (H. Frnhstorfer). 



