NOCTUAS. 



309 



Obs. This species is the Erraticula of 

 Hubner, the Suffuruncula of Treitschke, the 

 Literosa of Haworth, and the Latruncula of 

 Fryer. Guenee adopts the first of these 

 names ; Doubleday, whom I follow, the third. 



611. The Cloaked Minor (Miana furuncula). 



511. THE CLOAKED MINOR. The palpi 

 are pointed, porrected, and slightly ascending ; 

 the antennae are very slender in both sexes ; 

 the wings are nearly equally divided into a 

 dark basal and pale outer area, the division 

 between these areas being marked by a 

 straight whitish line ; the dark area includes 

 the orbicular, the pale area the reniform 

 spot ; the hind margin has a dark band 

 bordered towards the middle of the wing by 

 a sinuous outline : the hind wings are pale 

 gray-brown, aid somewhat iridescent. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in July, 

 and is abundant in our English, Irish, and 

 Scotch counties. (The scientific name is 

 Miana furunou la. ) 



Obs. There are three very distinct varieties 

 comprehended, and I believe very correctly 

 BO, under one specific name ; the first repre- 

 sented by the upper figure, is the Cloaked 

 Minor (Noctua humeralis), of Haworth (Lep. 

 Brit., No. 149) ; the second, represented by 

 the middle figure, is the Flounced Minor 

 (Noctua terminaiis), of Haworth (Lep. Brit., 

 No. 150) ; and the third, represented by the 

 lower figure, is the Plain Red Minor (Noctua 

 rujuucula], of Haworth (Lep. JJri(.,'No. 152); 



of this last Mr. Birchall writes : " The 

 variety Rufuncula, of Haworth, occurs com- 

 monly at Howth. The wings are uniformly 

 clay -coloured, without lines or spots, and the 

 insect has a strong resemblance to Nonagria 

 concolor." I am indebted to Mr. Birchall for 

 specimens. The name of Furuncula in the 

 Vienna Catalogue has the priority. 



512. The Least Minor (Photedes captiuncula). 



512. THE LEAST MINOR. The palpi are 

 porrected, pointed, and generally rather 

 widely separated ; the antennae are slender in 

 both sexes : the fore wings are rather ample 

 for so small an insect, and rather pointed at 

 the tip ; their colour is dull bistre-brown, 

 with a somewhat darker median band, which 

 is sometimes bounded exteriorly by a sinuous 

 white line ; the discoidal spots can scarcely 

 be traced : in some specimens the colouring 

 is much broken up and more variegated, and 

 then a second transverse and sinuous white 

 line, and the two discoidal spots are percept- 

 ible : the hind wings are smoky-gray, with 

 pale fringes : the head, thorax, and body are 

 umber-brown, and remarkably slender. 



The MOTH appears on the wing in July, 

 and I believe has only been taken in one 

 locality in England, the neighbourhood of 

 Darlington ; Mr. Birchall informs us that it 

 is common near Galway, and that the Irish 

 specimens are smaller and much more brightly 

 coloured than English ones. (The sientific 

 name is Photedes captiuncula.} 



Obs. This insect is the Miana captiuncula 

 of continental authors ; Herrich-Schteffer's 

 figures 173 and 174 resemble the Irish, rather 

 than the English, specimens, but are more 

 variegated than any 1 possess. Haworth 

 was unacquainted with the insect- 



