26 VARIETIES OF NOCTILE 



on which the females deposit their eggs. They are aided in doing this 

 by a very long ovipositor, the form of which varies in the different 

 species, and which has helped me to discriminate allied species " 

 (' Noctuelles,' vol. vi., p. 18). 



Dianthcecia, Bdv., irregtdaris, Hufn. 



This species only appears to offer a very slight variation in 

 colour, some specimens being rather paler than others, especially on 

 the outer margin. Huf nagel's diagnosis is as follows : " Dull yellowish 

 with white spots and brown zigzag transverse lines " (' Berlinisches 

 Magazin', iii., 394). Borkhausen describes the same species under the 

 name of echii, by which name it was first known in England. His 

 description is : " Ground colour of the fore wings whitish, spotted 

 with light brown, with four darker nut-brown curved lines ; the first 

 on the base is very small and does not cross the wing completely, 

 the second basal line is complete, the third is strongly angulated, 

 whilst the subterminal line almost touches the angle made by the 

 third line, and forms a Latin W in its centre. This line is bordered 

 by a whitish one externally. The extreme outer area is very pale 

 brownish. Between the complete basal and angulated lines stand the 

 ordinary stigmata, the orbicular whitish, with the centre and outer 

 ring pale dirty brown, the second is reniform with the centre filled in 

 with darker brown. Under the orbicular, on the second line, stands 

 a blackish -brown claviform stigma. The hind wings are light grey- 

 brown, with a brownish transverse band, darker margin and lunule " 

 (< Naturgeschichte &c.,' pp. 166-167). 



a. var. aberrant, Ev. This variety is thus described by 

 Staudinger : " Thorace alisque anterioribus subaldibis, his fascia 

 media lata ochracea." " Siberia, west and north " (' Catalog,' p. ( J4r). 

 1 am not aware that this variety occurs in England. 



Dianthcecia capsophila and D. carpophaga. 



D. capsophila is perhaps, so far as British specimens are concerned, 

 one of the most constant species in the genus, although there is a slight 

 tendency in some specimens, to be rather brown or grey than black, thus 

 attempting to copy the darkest vars. of carpophaga. I look on this, 

 however, as a case of parallel variation, necessarily occurring between 

 two closely allied species, rather than anything throwing doubt on its 

 specific distinctness. There is, also, a slight variation in the pale 

 mottling, but nothing very striking. With regard to this insect being 

 specifically identical with carpophaga, Mr. Birchall writes : " There 

 has been much discussion as to the claims of this insect to be considered 

 a species distinct from carpophaga, some of the darker varieties of 

 which, from Scotland, approach capsophila both in form and colour. 

 The caterpillars of carpophaga and capsophila, like the perfect insects, 

 differ principally in colour ; capsophila in both cases being darker. 

 The caterpillars of capsincola and conspersa are, however, equally diffi- 

 cult to separate ; and these slight variations in the caterpillar state, 

 seem to be characteristic of the Dianthoecice, and alone are insufficient to 

 enable us to discriminate the species. So we may suppose that the 

 common origin of the various species of the genus, is indicated by 

 these slight differences in the caterpillar state ; but, for the purpose 

 of classification, carpophaga and capsophila seem to be abundantly dis- 



