ANTHROCERA (iHERMOPHILA) VICLE. 459 



form of A. meliloti, but considers that more evidence is required. 

 Calberla, however, unites without hesitation, charon, Hb., fig. 21, with 

 meliloti, and writes (Iris, viii., pp. 213-218) : " I hold with Christ that 

 charon (Hb., fig. 21, H.-Sch., figs. 69-70), and its red-belted var. 

 stentzii, H.-Sch., fig. 28, is a southern six- (rarely five-) spotted form 

 of the usually five-spotted meliloti, Esper, and its red-belted var. 

 stentzii (Frr., pi. 278, fig. 4, meliloti var., H.-Sch., figs. 86-87). A. 

 charon occurs commonly in the south-eastern Alps, A. meliloti rarely ; in 

 the rest of Italy one only finds A. meliloti singly. Speyer knew stentzii, 

 H.-S., from the Tyrol and Bergell, but does not mention charon, Hb., 

 although it is evident (Geog. Verb., i., pp. 346, 461, ii., p. 282) that 

 he included both forms under the name teriolensis as a transalpine 

 form of meliloti, whilst Herrich-Schaffer appears to have suspected in his 

 stentzii a var. of A. meliloti. Charon, Hb., and stentzii, H.-S., extend 

 from the Tyrol westward through the southern Alps to Cuneo, and 

 onwards through the mountains of Italy to Sicily. They are of a 

 more glossy black and brighter red, with a broader black border to the 

 hind- wing, which is only narrower in the middle of the outer margin 

 than in A. meliloti and its ab. stentzii, Freyer. Expanse 22-29 mm. as 

 in A. meliloti. Transitional forms occur as Christ has stated. Herrich- 

 Schaffer's figures refer to Piedmontese specimens (fig. 70 is very large 

 and narrow- winged), whilst Hiibner figures the Apennine form of upper 

 Italy. I possess many examples from between Bologna and Pistoja, 

 and have seen similar ones from the Ligurian Apennines, which agree 

 with Hiibner's figure and description, and differ from the south Alpine 

 form, in being darker, more thickly scaled, and in having more rounded 

 fore-wings, and broader bordered hind-wings. The expanse of my 

 examples is 26-27 mm., against the 28 mm. of the figured specimen. 

 The fore-wings of the male are deep black-blue, those of the $ green with 



strong metallic gloss The fore-wings are, on the upper-side, 



five- or six-spotted, on the under-side the five-spotted examples show the 

 sixth spot, and the red tinge of the Alpine specimens is lacking. If one 

 wished to separate the south-eastern Alpine form the name terio- 

 lensis, Speyer, would have to be used. Staudinger has sent out 

 the six-spotted red-belted form under the name of ab. cin-yulata, to 

 distinguish it from ab. stentzii, Frr., but the name cingulata would fall 

 betoie decora, Led. (Yerh. z.-b. Yer. Wien, 1852, p. 125), thename teriolensis 

 being retained for the form without a red abdominal belt. The ab. 

 decora, Led., is not known to me from the Apennines of southern and 

 central Italy. Another form of charon found in Italy is the Neapolitan, 

 which flies in the Apennines in this district to about 1,000m., at the 

 end of June and in July, and is not very different from the Alpine 

 form. The fore-wings are somewhat more glossy, the red more 

 crimson than in meliloti, spot 4 is more often quadrate, the basal spots 

 are more often connected. Of 12 specimens before me only one $ 

 possesses the traces of a red belt, another J has an indistinct 6th spot. 

 The third form is the Sicilian, which I distinguish as var. sicula ; it 

 was found in a marsh in the forest of Mistretta, at above 1,000 m. 

 elevation, sitting on rushes projecting from water; elsewhere in 

 Italy charon flies on dry mountain pastures. The dull black is, in 

 this form, tinged with blue or green, and is darker in the $ , the red 

 is a light cinnabar, fading into crimson ; the greyish-black border of 

 the hind-wings is at the inner angle very broad. Spots 1 and 2 are 



