288 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 



^Egeria asiliformts, Stephens, 111. Brit. Ent. Haust. i. p. 139 



(1828). 

 Sciapteron tabaniformis t Kirby, Eur. Butterflies and Moths, 



p. 77 (1879). 



The Dusky Clear-wing is found throughout Europe and 

 Western Asia. It expands from an inch and a quarter to an 

 inch and a half. 



The body is blue-black ; the head with two white spots in 

 front of the eyes, and a yellow ring behind. The thorax 

 has a yellow mark on each side, and a spot of the same colour 

 at the base of the fore-wings. The abdomen has four yellow 

 rings in the male, and three in the female. The anal tuft is 

 deep black, with two yellow longitudinal lines. The fore- 

 wings are brown and opaque, being almost entirely covered with 

 scales ; the hind-wings are transparent, with brown borders. 



The larva lives in sallow, ash, and aspen. 



At the beginning of the century this Moth used to be taken 

 occasionally in the neighbourhood of London ; but for some 

 unexplained reason, it appears to have entirely disappeared 

 from this country, almost the last specimens seen at large in 

 England having been taken by Mr. Doubleday in his garden 

 at Epping in 1858. 



GENUS PYROPTERON. 



Pyropteron, Newman, Ent. Mag. i. p. 75 (1832); Walker, List 

 Lepid. Ins. Brit. Mus. viii. p. 17 (1856). 



Antennae rather slender, finely setose beneath, in the male; and 

 more slender, but slightly sub-clavate, in the female. The body 

 is rather slender, and the abdomen is tufted at the extremity. 

 The fore-wings have a short hyaline streak in the cell, and a large 

 hyaline spot beyond ; the hind-wings are transparent, except at 

 the edges. 



