116 HAUSTELLATA. LEPIDOPTERA. 



fSp. 1. catena. " Alls alhissimis, fascid postica, maculisque duabus costalibus fusco 

 olivaceis strigfujue punctorum confertorum fuscorum subocellatorum margi- 

 nali." — Haworth. (Exp. alar. 1 unc. 4 lin.) 



Ph. No. catena. Sowerby, pi. 14. — Desmophora elegans. Steph. Catal. pt. ii. 

 p. 109. No. 6398.— Ac. catena. Curtis, vi. pL 276. 



''Pale cream colour, shining: antennae ochreous: eyes brown: superior (an- 

 terior) wings sublanceolate, with a brown and grey spot at the base upon the 

 costa, margined with yellow, and having three pale lines across ; a triangular 

 one of the same colour at the middle of the costa ; the posterior margin with 

 a lilac-coloured fimbria, the internal edge yellow ; close to the base of the 

 cilia, which is (are) yellowish lilac, is a line of white spots with lilac centres, 

 forming a chain and decreasing in size to the apical one, which is oblong; 

 that at the posterior angle being the largest, bearing a dark purple spot, with 

 a lilac centre, apd a semicircular ochreous line on the outside. Inferior (poste- 

 rior) wings pearly white, a small portion of the margin slightly tinged with 

 yellowish-brown." — Curtis, I. c. 



Said to have been taken by Mr. Plastead at Brixton, in Surry, 

 about the middle of September. 



Genus CLI. — Erastria, Ochsenheimer. 



Palpi moderate, slender, distant, slightly curved, porrected obliquely, clothed 

 with short dense scales, the terminal joint more or less exposed and acute ; 

 basal joint about one-third the length of the second, which is elongate and a 

 little clavate, with its apex obliquely truncate, terminal shorter and more 

 slender than the basal, ovate obtuse : maxillw about as long as the antennae. 

 Antennce similar in both sexes, rather short, simple, finely ciliated within, 

 the basal joint rather stout: head^\\oxt: e^/c^ moderate, naked : j'/iorccr slender, 

 not crested : abdomen also slender, with a small tuft at the apex, and some- 

 times crested down the back: ivings during repose nearly horizontal, and 

 slightly expanded, forming a triangle ; antennw rather long, with the costal 

 angle somewhat acute, the posterior margin sometimes slightly rounded; 

 posterior rather large, rounded; cilia somewhat elongate. Larva slender, 

 half-looper, with ten } legs : pupa foUiculated. 



The insects of this genus are generally as rare as they are beautiful, 

 and are amongst the smallest of the Noetuidse : from Aeontia, to 

 which they are closely allied, they differ in having the palpi rather 

 shorter, by their more elongate form, and dissimilarity of colouring; 

 but the genus as it at present stands is artificial, the two last 

 species differing considerably from the others ; their flight is diurnal. 



Sp. 1. sulphuralis. Alis anticis sulphureis, maculis lineisque atris, posticisfuscis. 

 (Exp. alar. 10—11 lin.) 



