October, 1894. 217 



THE- BRITISEI SPECIES OF THE GENUS PSYCHE, AND ITS ALLIES. 

 BY C. G. BARKETT, P.E.S. 



It has become necessary to arrive at some more definite know- 

 ledge of the British species of this group of Bomb3'ces than that 

 hitherto obtained, and also to know a little more of their preparatory 

 stages. To this end, part or the whole series of these species in 

 several of our best collections have been placed in my hands. Dr. 

 Mason has sent up the whole of his extensive series ; Mr. Sydney 

 Webb, his own, and also a large portion of those from the late Mr. 

 Bond's cabinet ; Mr. Nelson fiichardson and Mr. E. E. Bankes, their 

 Dorset specimens ; Mr. Charles A. Briggs (I fear at great inconveni- 

 ence to himself), his interesting collection of the smaller species ; 

 Mr. S. Stevens, some particularly useful forms ; and Mr. W. H. B. 

 Fletcher those from Sussex and from the South of Ireland; while 

 Mr. McEae, of Bournemouth, Mr. W. C. Boyd, and Mr. W. Holland, 

 have exerted themselves greatly to afford information in respect of the 

 living insects. Some of the results will, I think, be of interest. 



Psyche viiloselia, Ochs., nigricans, Curt. — I think that this species is gene- 

 rally known. The male is about the size of that of Clisiocamf.a neustria, with an 

 equally robust thorax, very hairy ; antennae pectinated, wings smoky-blackish, but 

 soon fading to dark smoky-brown, thinly covered with hairy scales and not completely 

 opaque. The female is less known, appearing in collections as a dried up, wrinkled, 

 brown maggot, of no particular shape. But a living specimen is different, and I 

 gladly embrace the opportunity of noting down a description from a specimen 

 furnished this summer by Mr. W. C. Boyd. Its whole appearance is that of a large 

 fat maggot, without a trace of wings or legs or of scales. The head is horny, like 

 that of a larva, but shaped in a most singular manner, so as to form the oddest 

 possible resemblance to that of a walrus, having a smooth, rounded, protruding 

 forehead, beneath this two hollows like eye-sockets, between which is a prominent, 

 smooth, rounded resemblance to a swollen nose. On each side of this the antennas- 

 cases are soldered down, and have their tips continued straight down into two sharp 

 points, just like the tusks of a walrus. There is no indication of the usual compound 

 eyes, nor of palpi, tongue, or any effective organs in the solid brown mask which 

 forms the face. On each side, on the antenna-case, is a black spot. Upper portion of 

 each of the three following segments covered with a thin, shining brown, horny plate 

 like the dorsal plate of a larva ; lower portion creamy-white ; on the under-side of 

 these three segments are minute papillae indicating the places of the non-existing 

 logs ; whole remainder of the body creamy-white. 



There appears to be an idea that the females of this genus never leave the case 

 in which they have passed the larva and pupa states. This is certainly an error. 

 In some instances they do not ; but very frequently, in this species, the female forces 

 licrsclf quite out of tlic ca-ic and falls, a liulplcss mass, upon the ground, and in Mr. 



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