DIPHTHERA. 65 



GENUS DIPHTHERA. 



Diphthera, Hiibner, Tentamen, p. i (1816). 

 Agriopis, Boisduval, Gen. Ind. Meth. p. 123 (1840); Guenee, 

 Spec. Gen. Lepid. Noct. i. p. 58 (1852). 



In this genus the antennae are pubescent and filiform, but 

 slightly denticulated at the base, which is furnished with a 

 strong tuft of hairs. The palpi are straight and rather long. 

 The body is stout and hairy, and the abdomen is slightly 

 crested. The legs are stout, with very thick tibiae in the male, 

 and all the tarsi thickly spined below. The wings are entire, 

 with very distinct markings. 



The larvae are stout and cylindrical, and hide themselves 

 under the bark of trees during the day. The pupae are deeply 

 buried in the ground, and are enclosed in an earthen 

 cocoon. 



There is a species belonging to the Acronyctina (Moma 

 orion^ Esper) which has a very close resemblance to the type 

 of this genus, and to which, by some oversight, Ochsenheimer 

 and his successors have applied the name Diphthera, the 

 original type of which is the following species. 



THE MARVEIL DU JOUR. DIPHTHERA APRILINA. 

 (Plate CXXVIL, Fig. 8.) 



Noctua aprilina, Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. (ed. x.) i. p. 514, no. 99 



(1758); id. Faun. Suec. p. 313, no. 1178 (1761); Esper, 



Schmett. iv. (i), p. 276, Taf. 118, figs. 1-3 (1789?). 

 Noctua runica, Denis & SchifTerm tiller, Syst. Verz. Schmett. 



Wien. p. 70, no. i (1776); Hiibner, Eur. Schmett. iv. fig. 



71 (1799?), figs. 721, 722 (1818?). 

 Miselia aprilina, Treitschke, Schmett. Eur. v. .(i), p. 4n 



(1825); Stephens, 111. Brit, Ent. Haust Hi. p. 25 (1829). 



16 F 



