10 VARIETIES OF NOCTILS 



the early authors treated many of the varieties as distinct species. In 

 ground colour we find intermediate shades from pale whitish-grey and 

 reddish-brown to intense black. In the markings, the variation is 

 based on the suppression or development, and the position, of the 

 transverse lines and stigmata. Normally there are four transverse 

 lines, one, a broken double basal line near the thorax ; the second, a 

 double complete basal line on which the claviform is situated ; the 

 third, a shouldered (angulated) line just beyond (but occasionally in 

 contact with) the reniform, sometimes this is single, sometimes double 

 (Haworth considered it an important character) ; and lastly, a wavy 

 line (sometimes modified into a row of dots) quite near the hind 

 margin ; occasionally there is a fifth line passing between the reniform 

 and orbicular from the costa to the inner margin, but more generally 

 modified into an oblique shade, extending from the base of the reniform 

 to the inner margin. There is also a great deal of variation in the 

 stigmata ; the reniform is sometimes centrally blackish, outlined with 

 pale, and this again outlined in black, others black-centred with a pale 

 outer line only, others simply unicolorous black. The orbicular is 

 sometimes pale grey, outlined with black (this is normal in lunigera), 

 sometimes dark grey with a pale outline and again outlined in darker, 

 sometimes it is centrally black, sometimes quite unicolorous ; both 

 stigmata are also very variable in shape, especially the orbicular, which 

 varies from a perfectly small circle, to a spot of a longitudinal oval 

 form ; some have it almost obsolete in pale varieties, whilst in dark 

 varieties it is often untraceable ; the claviform varies very much also. 

 The sexes are abundantly distinct and may be distinguished both by 

 the antennas and hind wings ; the latter are almost pure white in the 

 males but more or less clouded with fuscous in the females. The most 

 important varieties we have appear to be as follows : 



1. Whitish-grey, or pale grey with clear distinct transverse lines and 



stigmata = catenatus, Haw. 

 2. Whitish-grey, or pale grey with clear distinct transverse lines and 



stigmata, with broad reddish-brown costa = segetis, Hb. 

 3. Whitish-grey, or pale grey with more or less indistinct suffused 



lines and stigmata, irrorated and clouded with black = monileus, 



Haw. 

 4. Clear reddish-brown, with clear distinct transverse lines and 



stigmata = segetum, Schiff. 

 5. Keddish-brown, with more or less indistinct suffused lines and 



stigmata, and clouded with black = caliginosa, Esp. = segetum, 



Hb. = sordida, Haw. 

 6. Pale grey with reddish tinge, and distinct lines and stigmata = 



fuscosa, Esp. 

 7. Black, with a row of pale dots parallel to hind margin = subatratus, 



Haw. 

 8. Unicolorous black = nigricornis, Villers .= nigricornutus, Haw. 



The following are simply sub-varieties of the former : 

 1. var. pectinatus, Haw. A sub-variety of the var. catenatus, with 



smaller claviform and a double angulated line instead of a 



single one (just beyond the reniform). 

 2. var. spinulus, Haw. Another sub- variety of var. catenatus, with 



the reniform not touching the elbowed line, and the exterior 



