PROF. J. O. WESTWOOD ON THE URANIID2. 515 
I received from the Leyden Museum, and which appears to be undescribed’. On com- 
paring the venation of this insect with that of the Uraniide (e. g. sloanus &c.), it will be 
seen that they are so nearly identical that no doubt could be entertained of their affinity 
if we were assured that the larvee of the Strophidiw were not loopers, and possessed 
the full complement of sixteen legs. It will, however, be remarked that M. Guenée 
(H. N. Lép. x. p. 24) is by no means absolutely satisfied that the Strophidiw are really 
geometrideous, since he enters into a description of the differences which separate them 
from Asthenidia, Westw., which he assumes to belong to the Bombycides. 
In instituting this genus Asthenia* in the volume of Exotic Moths in Jardine’s ‘ Natu- 
ralist’s Library,’ Entom., vii. 1841, p. 209, pl. xxix. f. 1, I regarded the type, A. poda- 
liriaria, as belonging to the Geometride, pointing out its chief distinctive characters, 
especially the short strongly bipectinated antenne, the very short and weak legs and body, 
and the venation of the wings. ‘The latter character is here represented (Plate LX XVI. 
fig. 10, fore and hind wings of A. podaliriaria), whence it will be seen that, whilst differing 
considerably from Urapteryx, it approximates more closely to Strophidia, from which 
it, however, differs at once in wanting several of the branches of the postcostal vein of 
the fore wings. M. Guenée directs attention to the woolly forehead, the bipectinated 
antenne, the short indistinctly jointed palpi, the rudimental spiral tongue, the short 
woolly body, the short legs, woolly anterior tibize and basal joint of the tarsi, the vena- 
tion of the wings, and especially to the fact that “tous les rameaux costaux [of the 
subcostal vein of the fore wings] sont retranchés comme chez toutes les Saturnides,” 
as so many characters separating Asthenidia from Strophidia, and consigning it to the 
Bombycides—an opinion in which I am fully prepared to acquiesce from a careful ex- 
amination of various Saturnideous types. 
Regarding, then, the relationship between Asthenia and Urapteryx as one of analogy, 
and not of affinity, and considering Asthenia as belonging to the great group of Bom- 
bycidw, and that Strophidia is more nearly allied to Asthenia than it is to Uraptery«, I 
conceive that we shall be warranted in placing the Uraniide at a distance from the 
Geometride and amongst the Bombycidee, on account, Ist, of the structure of the larva 
of Coronidia, Uranidia, and Chrysiridia, and, 2ndly, the venation of the wings destitute 
of a small cell. The long slender terminal joint of the palpi, and the prolongation of 
the hind wings into caudate appendages, appear to me tobe of secondary importance 
in determining the relations of the group. 
1 The following are its short characters :— 
SrropHrp1a VoLLENHov, Westw. Alis albis, anticarum margine tenui antico et apicali fasciisque duabus 
transversis mediis pallide fuscis, posticarum fascia e medio costs ad angulum analem alteraque apicali pallide 
fuscis, maculis duabus nigris caudalibus. Exp. alar antic. une. 23. 
Hab. In ins. Malayanis (Mus. Hopeiano Oxoniz). 
2 As the name Asthenia has been elsewhere employed in Diptera, it may be well to slightly modify it te 
prevent all confusion. I propose, therefore, to change the Lepidopterous name to dsthenidia. 
