60 HYLOTOMA ATE ATA. 



Konow (B. E. Z., xxviii, 309) divides the atrata of 

 authors into three species : (1) Thomsoni, Sibi = 

 segmentaria, Thorns.; (2) atrata, Forster ; and (3) 

 segmentaria, Pz. Thomsoni is said to have the dis- 

 coidal cellule in the hind wing not much shorter than 

 the sub-marginal, while in the two other species it is 

 only about half the length, as it is in niost of the 

 species, e. g. ustulata i. e. the recurrent nervure is 

 received near the middle of the cellule, in Thomsoni 

 near the apical fourth. 



All the British specimens I have seen (as also all the 

 German) are referable to Thomsoni. The characters 

 given by Konow for separating these species from the 

 colour of the legs, wings, and abdomen are not of much 

 importance, for they vary to a considerable extent in 

 Thomsoni. Moreover, the position of the recurrent 

 nervure in the hind wings varies, it being received in 

 some specimens nearer the middle than in others. 



Subsequently (Deutsche Ent. Zeit., xxx, 73) he 

 withdrew Thomsoni = segmentaria, Thorns., it being 

 considered identical with atrata ; but segmentaria, Pz., 

 is apparently kept distinct, the distinction being that 

 segmentaria has the wings slightly yellowish, almost 

 hyaline, the radial cellule in the ? occupied by a violet 

 iridescent brown cloud; the middle abdominal seg- 

 ments narrowly edged with yellow, and the tarsi yel- 

 lowish-white, brownish at the apex; while in atrata 

 the wings are brownish yellow with a fine violet irides- 

 cence, especially at the stigma and radial cellule ; below 

 the stigma and at the end of the radial cellule is a 

 darker cloud, very weakly indicated in the <$ ; the 

 middle abdominal segments in the ? are broadly 

 reddish-yellow, and the apical edges of the tibiae are 

 reddish-yellow. I am unable, however, to look upon 

 these characters as valid for specific determination, for 

 I find variations in all of them. 



A species easily recognised by the fascia ir the radial 

 cellule, by the wide blotch, and by the transverse 

 marks on the dorsum of abdomen. The recurrent 



