ABTA NIGRICORNJS. 35 



finely punctured ; scutellum transverse at base, distinctly punctured. 

 The pronotum is clearly separated from the mesonotum, slightly 

 ridged behind, densely covered with a fuscous pubescence ; metanotum 

 coppery, scarcely pubescent. Cenchri white. Abdomen brassy green ; 

 nearly one-fourth longer than the head and thorax, dilated at the sides, 

 wider than the thorax, minutely punctured, and covered with a velvety 

 pile ; the apex and sides pilose. Ventral surface black, shining, not 

 brassy; the segments pale at their junction. Legs: coxae, trochanters, 

 and femora, brassy-black ; tibiae and tarsi yellow, tarsi darker ; claws 

 bifid. Wings sub-hyaline, with a yellowish tinge; there are three 

 fuscous f ascise ; a long, narrow, slanting stripe, a small one below the 

 stigma, and one at the apex in the radial cellule; costa' and stigma 

 luteous, the latter fuscous at the base. 



In the the fuscous markings on the wings are deeper and broader ; 

 the abdomen is, if anything, greener, and has a quadrate velvety spot 

 on the fourth, fifth, and sixth segments, and there is a faint raised keel 

 in its centre. The silky hairs on the abdomen are whitish, while in the 

 $ they are more yellowish, and the abdomen has a more metallic gloss. 



Length 4| 5^ lines. 



The larva has been described by Van Yollenhoven. 

 Its head is black on the crown, and grey on the oral 

 region. On the body the back is purplish -grey, and 

 is divided in its entire length by two orange-coloured 

 lines of equal width ; the sides and legs are grey. 

 Between the orange lines are twelve large purplish 

 spots ; between each pair of these are two smaller 

 spots, and there are some smaller spots on either side. 

 Spiracles elliptical, brownish. When young the larva 

 is grey, powdered over, as it were, with white ; there 

 are two yellow spots on each dorsal segment in place of 

 the orange stripes which appear later. There are four 

 spots on the sides and on the centre of the back. 



The pupa has the anterior part of the body brownish- 

 yellow, abdomen green, with broad brgwnish stripes 

 on the back. Antenna3 white, legs yellowish- white, 

 eyes brownish. 



It feeds on the snow -berry (Symphoricarpus race- 

 mosus) in June and July, and pupates in the earth. 



Exetastes cimbicis, Voll., is a parasite. 



Not common ; London district ; Jersey. 



Continental distribution : Sweden, Lapland, Hol- 

 land, Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany, Russia. 



