COISTISTKA. 449 



2655. Coiiistra erythrocephala. 



Nocf.ua criithi'ocephcda, Schiff. Wien. Verz. p. 77 (1776) ; Fabr. Mant. Ins. 



ii.p. 176 (1787); Hiibn. Ear. S^hmett., Noct. f. 176; Dap. Lep. Fr, vi. 



pi. 79. f. 3 ; Staud. Cat Lep. pal. p. 208. 

 Nootua glabra, Schiff. Wien. Verz. p. 314 (1776); Hiibn. Eur. Scliniett., 



Noct. f. 438 ; Dnp. Lep. Fr. vi. pi. 79. f. 2 ; Frr. :seue Beitr. v. pi. 436. 

 Noctim vaceiiiil, Esp. Scliiuett. iv. pi. 162, ff. 3-4 (1791), nee Linn. 

 Noctua spadicea, 13orkh. Eur. Schmett. iv. p. 748 (1792), nee Scliift'. 



Head and thorax bright rufous ; sides of palpi and frons dark 

 red-brown ; autennte whitish at base ; pectus clothed with grey and 

 rufous hair ; legs dark red-brown ; abdomen pale rufous irrorated 

 with fuscous, the base greyish, the anal tuft ochreous, the ventral 

 surface grey irrorated with black and with sublateral black spots on 

 three terminal segments. Fore wing grey suffused with rose-red, 

 the veins grey ; subbasal line double, waved, from costa to sub- 

 median fold; antemedial line double, waved, oblique, angled inwards 

 to double black points on median nervure and vein 1 ; claviform 

 represented hy a slight brown spot on the oiiter antemedial line ; 

 orbicular and reniform grey with whitish annuli defined by rufous, 

 the former rather small, round, the latter with black points on 

 upper part of outer edge and its lower part filled in with black 

 broken up by the veins, these black markings sometimes almost 

 obsolete ; an indistinct difi:'used waved medial liue oblique from 

 costa to lower angle of cell, then inwardly oblique ; postmedial line 

 double, bent outwards below costa, then minutely waved and 

 produced to black points on the veins, incurved at discal fold and 

 below vein 4, some grey points beyond it on costa : subterminal 

 line indistinct, whitish, defined on inner side by slight dentate 

 rufous marks, angled outwards at vein 7 and excurved at middle, a 

 fine waved brown terminal line ; cilia rufous with fine pale waved 

 line through them. Hind wing fuscous brown, the cilia brown at 

 base, whitish at tips ; the underside whitish tinged with rufous and 

 irrorated with brown, a dark diseoidal lunule and sinuous post- 

 medial line. 



Ab. 1. (jlahra. Thorax and fore wing deep rufous to dark 

 purple-brown, the latter with the costal area, the base of inner area, 

 and a subterminal band diftused ; the orbicular aud reniform grey- 

 white. 



Hab. Britain, Leech Coll. ; France, Sand Coll. ; Denmark ; 

 Germany, Zeller and Leech Colls. ; Austria ; Hungary, Leech Coll. ; 

 Switzerland, Frey Coll. ; Italy ; ? Sicily ; Eussia, Livonia, Zeller 

 Coll. ; Asia Minor, Pontus. Exp. 34-42 millim. 



Larva. Meyr. Brit. Lep. p. 65; Barrett, Lep. Brit. vi. p. 11; HfFm. 

 Eanp. p. 119, pi. 32. f. 7- 



Fuscous.; spiracular line whitish. Food-plants: Gallhcm, FUmtago, 

 &c. 5. 



VOL. VI. 2 G 



