BESTING ATTITUDE OF ZAMACRA FLABBLLARIA. 



107 



as usual, by the lamplight. One caught at night and covered 

 with a tumbler was found in the morning to be still in this 

 characteristic position, thus making it possible for its photo- 

 graph to be taken. 



This species is an inhabitant of countries washed by the 

 Mediterranean, being found in Greece, Syria, and Morocco, as 

 well as in the islands of Sardinia, Sicily, and Cyprus. In 

 general appearance the Cypriote specimens are slightly darker 

 than those from other localities in the collection of the British 

 Museum. 



This moth was originally described by Herr Heeger in 1838 

 as Amphidasis Jiabellaria (' Beitrage Schmetterlingskunde,' p. 6, 

 Wien, 1838), when he mentions its peculiar method of folding 

 its wings like a fan, on which account he gave it the name of 

 flahellaria. He also gives a figure of it at rest, but this does not 

 convey a very good idea of the position, for the wings are 

 depicted as much more loosely folded, and the hinder pair less 

 closely held against the body than appears in the photograph. 

 Writing of it in 1860 (Ann. Soc. Ent. France, t. S'"^' Paris, 1860), 

 M. Bellier de la Chavignerie compares its position when in 

 repose to that of some of the Pterophores, or plume moths. 



Apparently the only other moths noticed as folding their 

 wings in any way approaching the manner of Z. Jiabellaria 

 belong to quite distinct groups, and are very much smaller, with 

 the exception of the angle shades. These roll up their wings, 

 but hold them in a normal position, while the moths of the 

 genus Gathynia, included in the family Epiplemidse, fold their 

 wings and spread them out in the form of a cross. In the third 

 volume of ' The Fauna of British India ' Sir George Hampson 

 writes of this genus, which is found in India and Ceylon, that 

 " the species repose in the form of a cross, with the fore wings 

 rolled up at right angles to the body, the hind wings folded close 

 to the body." From this description it will be seen that the 

 resemblance lies chiefly in the fact that each has a peculiar 

 method of folding the wings, and that here the likeness ends, for 

 in one the fore wings are held vertically, and in the other 

 horizontally. Hence this peculiarity has evidently been inde- 

 pendently arrived at, and it seems natural to conclude that there 

 must be considerable advantage to be gained by its adoption. 

 However, without knowing the details of its life and habits, it is 

 difficult to imagine how this attitude could be of any particular 

 use or protection, unless, as Mr. Frohawk suggests, the moth is 

 in the habit of settling on the trunks or branches of trees, in 

 which case the narrow folded wings would closely resemble a 

 loosened piece of bark or a broken twig. 



