124 VARIETIES OF NOCTUJE 



dentate mark. The antenna are very distinct also from those of sercna, 

 with which Staudinger (* Lepidop. Griechenlands ' etc., 121, and 

 ' Lepidop. Kleinasiens ' etc., 200) classes caduca. In chrysozona they 

 are very weakly pectinated, but in serena they are always thicker and 

 longer, almost hairy. Herrich-Schaffer received his original type 

 specimen from Frivaldszky from Crete, taken in July. The flesh- 

 coloured larva according to Frivaldszky, differs from that of dysodea. 

 I certainly considered this a local form of chrysozona from Crete, which 

 also occurs further north as an aberration " (' Stettiner entomologische 

 Zeitung,' vol. xlviii., p. 338). 



Referring to this note on Mamestra caduca, H.-S. in the ' Stett. 

 ent. Zeit.,' 1887, p. 3.38, Herr Speyer further writes : "On compiling 

 the communication quoted, I have overlooked that Dr. Staudinger had 

 in the ' Ent. Zeit.,' xliii., p. 36, altered his opinion respecting caduca, 

 and that he himself now declares it to be certainly a var. of H. chry- 

 sozona. The difference in the larva has probably induced Herrich- 

 Schaffer to put caduca as a separate species, in spite of his own 

 statement that it tallies in all essential points with dysodea " (* Stettiner 

 entomologische Zeitung,' vol. xlix., p. 207). 



Herrich-Schaffer's original description of caduca is as follows : 

 " Cinerea fusco- et perparum aurantiaco-mixta." He further states 

 that : " It comes near to dysodea, but is smaller, although having the 

 same markings. The same ashy-grey ground colour and a slight trace 

 of yellow markings. The black markings are fainter. In the hind 

 wings is a darker line parallel to the hind margin, and a dark lunule " 

 etc. The figure accompanying this description is certainly a very pale 

 dysodea with a very slight ochreous tint. The description I made of 

 the figure is as follows : " Fore wings grey, with a faint ochreous 

 shade in the centre of the wing, and with the ordinary and abbreviated 

 basal lines pale, with dark outer edges ; the claviform is short, blunt, 

 and very dark ; the orbicular is ocellated ; the reniform with a dark 

 margin ; the elbowed line pale with its inner edge dark ; the subter- 

 minal very black. The hind wings whitish with a dark margin and 

 lunule " (' Die Schmet. von Europa,' p. 266, and fig. 48). 



Prodenia, Gn., littoralis, Bdv. 



Vol. iii., p. 63. Prodenia littoralis. This species was first bred in 

 Britain by Mr. Boden from an imported tomato. Of this we read : 

 " Mr. Boden, at the City of London Ent. Society's Meeting of August 6th, 

 exhibited a specimen of a NOCTUA bred from a larva found feeding on a 

 tomato. He stated that the larva was brown and had a curious pig-like 

 head. The insect was unknown to the members present, the general 

 opinion being that it had been imported with the fruit " (* Ent. Record ' 

 &c., vol. ii., p. 167). Further we read : " This specimen has since been 

 identified as the Prodenia littoralis of Boisduval, a species hitherto un- 

 known in Britain. He (Mr. Boden) stated that he had failed to obtain 

 any information as to the locality from whence the tomato came, but 

 expressed an opinion that, seeing how extensively this plant was now 

 cultivated in England, it was quite possible that the insect might 

 become naturalised in this country " (I.e. p. 260). Staudinger records 

 it from "Crete, Syria and the Canary Isles" ( Catalog,' p. 104). 

 Colonel Swinhoe records it " from Moulmein and Rangoon" ('Trans. 

 Ent. Soc. of London,' 1890, p. 127). 



