THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Vol. XXIV.] JULY, 1891. [No. 338. 



CUCULLIA VERBA8CI AND ITS ALLIES. 



By Eichard South. 



Plate III. 



The insect known as Cucullia scrophularice has always been 

 an enigma to me, and I was therefore exceedingly glad to see the 

 question of its identity brought forward by Mr. Dale (Entom. 

 123). In a paper on the Lepidoptera of the Isle of Corsica 

 (Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1833), Rambur discusses certain species of 

 the genus Cucullia allied to C. verbasci. In his opening remarks 

 upon the genus, Rambur says that it is certainly a most natural 

 one, but that it is exceedingly difficult to distinguish the numerous 

 species comprised therein. As it is almost impossible to separate 

 Acronycta psi from A. tridens without reference to the larvae of 

 those species, so also will confusion ensue in the identification of 

 certain species of Cucullia, unless one has an intimate knowledge 

 of their respective larvae. After referring to the errors in deter- 

 mination of former authors, Rambur proceeds to give a kind of 

 monograph of the verbasci group of the genus, illustrated by 

 figures of the larva and imago of each of the six species de- 

 scribed. As the volume containing this paper may not be 

 accessible to many lepidopterists in this country, I have had the 

 plate reproduced by photo-lithography. 



The six species of Cucullia allied to C. verbasci, treated of and 

 figured by Rambur in his monograph of the group, may be placed 

 in two sections as follows : — 



(a) G. verbasci, Linn. (b) C. thapsiphaga, Treit. 



C. scrophularicB, Cap. C. canines, Ramb. { = blattarice, 



C. lychnitis, Ramb. Esp.) 



C. scrophulariphaga, Ramb. 



We are not, however, immediately concerned with section (b), 



ENTOM. JULY, 1891. Q 



