62 VARIETIES Of KOGTUJB 



Epunda, Dup., lichenea, Hb. 



This is a most beautiful species with two well distributed and 

 distinct races. The first is of a deep olive-green with red markings 

 = the type ; the second is of a pale greenish-grey, with scarcely any 

 trace of red markings = virididncta, Frr. Strange to say, at two places 

 on the South coast of England, this species is common, but all those 

 specimens which come from Plymouth are quite typical, whilst those 

 coming from Portland are uniformly var. virididncta. Specimens 

 which were taken by Mr. A. J. Hodges in Guernsey were typical, 

 whilst specimens, captured by Mr. Baxter at St. Anne's-on-Sea, were 

 of the virididncta form. Under flavicincta we have the record of a 

 pale Sicilian var. (calvescens), and the pale var. virididncta is also 

 recorded from the same locality. There is no doubt that this variation 

 is another illustration of the action of "natural selection," the different 

 environment in each instance being due to geological causes. 

 Hiibner's type may be thus described : " $ . The ground colour dark 

 green, suffused with red ; two basal reddish-ochreous lines ; the 

 stigmata outlined in red ; a dusky angulated line beyond the reniform, 

 followed by pink lunules and a whitish subterminal line ; outer margin 

 green. Hind wings white, with a dark shade and dark line parallel 

 to hind margin, dusky lunule. . Markings and colour as in $ , but 

 more distinct, hind wings greyer " (' Sammlung europ. Schmet.' &c., 

 figs. 562-563). Epunda lichenea is recorded by Mr. Christy from 

 Argyllshire in September (' Entomologist', vol. xxiv., p. 246), but I 

 have no idea what form he captured there. In the ' Proc. Sth. Lond. 

 Ent. Soc.,' 1888-89, p. 136, Mr. South says : " Of this species I exhibit 

 two series, one of which is from Plymouth, and the other from Portland, 

 both places on our S.W. coast. The specimens in the Plymouth 

 series are fairly typical of the species, whilst the series from Portland 

 is composed of small pale greenish-grey specimens, with but little, if 

 any, of the pink or reddish tinge which characterises the type, and all 

 the stigmata are conspicuous. Further, the secondaries are much 

 paler in both sexes." 



a. var. virididncta, Frr. Guenee gives a graphic description of 

 this variety as it occurs with us at Portland. He writes : " Generally 

 paler. The prevalent colour of the superior wings is whitish-grey, 

 and the markings, which are partly effaced, are pale olive-green. The 

 median space is darker and in part occupied by green, which surrounds 

 the two grey stigmata; the fringe is yellowish. The inferior wings 

 are whiter, with the transverse line and lunule equally faint. The 

 female is rather darker than the male." " Sicily " (' Noctuelles,' vol. 

 vi., p. 49). Guenee then adds : " I am unable to see in this supposed 

 species, anything but a variety of our lichenea. From their descriptions, 

 German authors appear to know this last species only imperfectly, and 

 this explains why they have considered it distinct, and why they have 

 compared virididncta with dysodea, with which it has only a very dis- 

 tant connection in colour " (1. c., p. 49). Freyer himself says : 

 " Treitschke writes : ' It is a pity that you had a worn specimen for 

 figuring in which the green scales which caused the name, remained 

 little visible ' " (' Neuere Beitrage ' &c., p. 176). Of Freyer's figure I 

 wrote : " This is the pale greenish-white or greenish-grey form of 

 lichenea, with the abbreviated and complete basal lines, the elbowed 



