NOCTUAS. 



309 



Obs. This species is the Erralicula, of 



[ubner, the Svffuruncula of Treitschke, the 



r Aterosa of Haworth, and the Latruncula of 



"Yyer. Guenee adopts the first of these 



lames ; Doubleday, whom I follow, the third. 



511. The Cloaked Minor {Mian a furuncv.la). 



511. THE CLOAKED MINOR. The palpi 

 re pointed, porrected, and slightly ascending ; 

 ic antennae are very slender in both sexes ; 

 wings are nearly equally divided into a 

 irk basal and pale outer area, the division 

 etween these areas being marked by a 

 io'ht whitish line ; the dark area includes 



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orbicular, the pale area the reniform 

 )t; the hind margin has a dark band 

 >rdered towards the middle of the wing by 

 sinuous outline : the hind wings are pale 

 ray-brown, and somewhat iridescent. 

 The MOTH appears on the wing in July, 

 id is abundant in our English, Irish, and 

 itch counties. (The scientific name is 

 Muina faru ncu la. ) 



Obs. There are three very distinct varieties 

 comprehended, and I believe very con-ectly 

 so, under one specific name ; the first repre- 

 sented by the upper figure, is the Cloaked 

 Minor (Noctua humeralis), of Haworth (Lep. 

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

 the middle figure, is the Flounced Minor 

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

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

 lower figure, is the Plain Red Minor (Noctua 

 rvfuncula), of Haworth (Lep. rit.,No. 152) ; 



of this last Mr. Birchall writes : The 

 variety Rv/uncula, of Haworth, occurs com- 

 monly at How th. 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 (PTiotedes captiunculd) . 



512. THE LEAST MINOR. The palpi are 

 porrected, pointed, and generally rather 

 widely separated ; the antennse 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 



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is common near Galway, and that the Irish 

 specimens are smaller and much more brightly 

 coloured than English ones. (The scientific 

 name is Photedes capliuncula.) 



Obs. This insect is the Jliana captiuncula 

 of continental authors ; Herrich-SchaefFer's 

 figures 173 and 17-4 resemble the Irish, rather 



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than the English, specimens, but are more 

 variegated than any I possess. Haworth 

 was unacquainted with the insect. 



