42 VAUIET1ES OF NOCTU^E 



Toxocampa, Gn., crdccce, Fab. 



This species is comparatively rare in Britain, although taken and 

 bred in some numbers in North Devon by Mr. South when collecting 

 professionally some eight to ten years ago. It is very distinct from 

 pastinwm, its pale longitudinal nervures at once distinguishing it. 

 There appears to be some slight sexual variation, the males I have are 

 rather browner than the females, and the abdoniina of the latter are 

 very large. The type is thus described by Fabricius : " Noctua 

 cristata, alis striatis cinereis : puncto albido, lunula punctata thoraceque 

 antice atris." " Statura preecedentis (lusoria) at paullo minor. 

 Thorax cinereus antice ater. Alae anticas venis striatie cinerese puncto 

 parvo albo ante medium. In medio lunula e punctis aliquot atris. 

 Postice fascia obsoleta obscurior. Costa punctis quatuor fuscis " 

 (' Mantissa/ p. 154). 



Toxocampa, Gn., pastvunm, Tr. 



This is the commonest of the British species in the genus and 

 offers a slight amount of variation in the ground colour, which, in 

 some specimens, is certainly whiter than in others. The area beyond 

 the elbowed line to the outer margin is frequently much tinged with 

 brown, sometimes the brown is restricted to a narrow band between 

 the elbowed and subterminal lines, whilst at other times, it is still more 

 restricted forming only a small costal patch, and very rarely it is quite 

 absent. The reniform stigma is sometimes L-shaped with a dot, 

 sometimes lunular, sometimes it forms an irregular blotch. The 

 orbicular is usually represented by a dot, but is occasionally absent. 



The species was first described by Treitschke as follows : 

 " Opltima alis anticis glaucescentibus, obsolete fusco fasciatis, macula 

 reniformi punctisque nigris ; " to which he adds : " Pastinum was 

 first discovered in 1819 by M. Dahl in two different places near 

 Vienna. In shape and general markings it is like the last two species 

 (craccce and ludicra), but in size and certain particular markings, it 

 differs from them considerably. The head is whitish, the collar black- 

 brown. The thorax, which has a small crest, is whitish-grey sprinkled 

 with brown dots. The body and feet are ashy-grey, the antenna 

 light rust colour with whitish scales, those of the male slightly pecti- 

 nated. The forewings, up to the mottled band, are bluish-grey, with 

 many brown dots and dashes. The first transverse line sometimes 

 takes the appearance of an indistinctly shaded band. The reniform 

 is black-brown, whilst behind it stand one or two black dots, through 

 which runs a faint transverse line. The mottled band (outer margin) 

 is brownish up to the fringes, darker on the costa and inner margin, 

 sprinkled throughout with minute dark brown dots. Before the light 

 brown fringes stands a row of small dark brown dots. Hind wings 

 and fringes brownish-grey, near the middle there are faint traces of a 

 paler band" (' Die Schmet. von Europa' &c., vol. v., pt. 3, p. 297). 

 The lusoria of Haworth is the type whilst his ludicra would appear to 

 be a rather dark variety. Humphrey and Westwood describe pastinum 

 under the name of lusoria, and say : " There is much difference in 

 the tint of different specimens " (' British Moths,' p. 246). 



a. var. ludicra, Haw. Haworth's diagnosis is : " Phytometra alis 

 fuscis puucto lituraque inedio nigris, strigisque duabus obsoletis apicein 



