THYSANIA. 15 l 



are long and simple, and the palpi ascending. The few species 

 known inhabit tropical America and the West Indies, and that 

 which we here describe and figure is the largest of all the 

 NoctiiCB and, indeed, one of the largest Moths known. 



THE GREAT OWL MOTH. THYSANIA AGRIPPINA. 



(Plate CXXXIV.} 

 Noctua strix, Fabricius (nee Linn.\ Syst. Ent. p. 591, no. 2 



(1775). 

 Noctua agrippina, Cramer, Pap. Exot. i. pi. 87, fig A, pi. 88, 



fig A, (1776). 

 Syrnia strix, Hiibner, Samml. Exot. Schmett. ii. Taf. 162, 163 



(1824?). 

 Thysania agrippina, Guenee, Spec. Gen. Lepid. Noct. iii. 



p. 164 (1852); Walker, List Lepid. Ins. Brit. Mus. xiv. 



p. 1287, no. 2 (1858). 



This enormous Moth, which is not uncommon in many parts 

 of South America, expands from seven to eight inches between 

 the tips of the wings. The wings are creamy white, much 

 dentated, and crossed by numerous more or less regular zig-zag 

 black and brown lines, most sharply marked on the hind-wings. 

 On the fore-wings the stigmata are placed near together, the 

 orbicular stigma is annular, and the reniform stigma very large, 

 and filled up with blackish. The under surface is violet-black, 

 with white spots and markings. The abdomen is white, 

 bordered with black, and tipped with reddish. The larva, 

 which feeds on the india-rubber tree in April, is dark green, 

 with a broad black transverse band on each segment above, and 

 a white sub-dorsal stripe. The head is yellow. There is a row 

 of tufts of hair on the back, and a short horn, resembling that 

 of a Sphinx larva, on the penultimate segment. When about 

 to become a pupa the larva turns red. Madame Merian's 



