Insects. 7677 



1854. Mr. Stevens (Zoul. 4272) is reported to liare exliibiled at tlie Entomological 

 Society's Meeting specimens of the new British Zygiena Minos. At Zool. 4486 is a 

 most interesting paper by Mr. A. G. More on the geographical distribution of Zygaena 

 Minos in the West of Ireland, Such were the earliest notices of this insect, all adopt- 

 \v<r,, without hesitation, a name fur which no authority had then been given. Latterly 

 Mr. Doubleday places it in his Synonymic List as Z. Minos, IV. V. The Vienna 

 Catalogue is certainly high authority when we know what is intended, but, aLis! in 

 this, as in too many other instances, it is now too late to inquire what its learned authors 

 meant by the name. It will not, I think, be urged by Mr. AUis, with whom the name 

 as applied to the Irish insect seems to have originated, that he ever went into the 

 question of its nomenclature very critically. Let me now attempt to bestow on it a 

 name which, even if not accepted, will at any rate challenge inquiry and discussion. 



ZvgjEna nubigena, Musaorum. 



Ala anlicte semihyalina;, nigreseentes, plaga magna difformi discali rubra ; aim 

 posticcB rubra margine tenuiter nigra : caput, thorax, et abdamen nigra, apaca, 

 hirsuta. 



The amount and disposition of the red colouring on the fore wings of the species 

 of Zygaena has always been held of great importance in differentiating species ; thus 

 the terms " five-spol " and " six-spot " describe characters which in this country were 

 for sixty years considered amply sufficient to distinguish our indigenous species. 

 Although this is no longer the case, we may still consult these markings with advantage. 

 In the two supposed species I am now considering the red area of the fore wings is 

 divided by the wing-rays into three portions or blotches : the first blotch may be called 

 costal ; it originates at the base of the wing, and extends immediately beneath the 

 costal margin ; the second may be called discal, occupying, but not limited by, what 

 is usually termed the discoidal cell ; the third may be called the inferior blotch ; it 

 originates at the base of the wing, and extends towards the hind margin. The costal 

 blotch is pointed at its distal extremity, and the discal blotch at its basal extremity. 

 Mr. Birchall has pointed out to me that in the continental specimens of Z. Minos, these 

 two points do not pass or overlook each other, wliereas in Z. nubigena the passing or over- 

 lapping is most evident. In a letter from Mr. N. Cooke, of Liverpool, to Mr. Double- 

 day, this character is clearly shown by coloured sketches. This diflference, I admit, 

 appears very insignificant, but supposing that one form of blotching is constant to the 

 black-bodied individuals, and the other form of blotching constant in the green-bodied 

 individuals, it will aid us very materially in our attempts to establish the existence of 

 two species. In addition I have only to say that I shall be much obliged for any 

 information respecting the Z. Minos said to have been found both on the West and 

 East Coasts of Scotland. I have seen neither. — Edward Newman. 



Description of the Larva of Acidalia rusticata. — Falls oflf its food-plant, feigning 

 death and remaining in a looped position when disturbed. Head rather small, very 

 distinctly exserted : body having each segment divided into eight rings, these 

 rings composed of minute warts, and these warts again emitting clavate or rather 

 capitate bristles, so that the entire surface is rough, having the appearance and cha- 

 racter of shagreen. Head nearly black : body brown, of two shades, rather prettily 

 variegated. Feeds on Crataegus Oxyacantha (whitethorn), and is full fed by the end 

 of May, when it spins a slight web among the leaves of its food-plant and changes to 



