CUCULLU VERBASCI AND ITS ALLIES. 156 



ochreous -brown insect, clouded with grey on the basal area, 

 dotted with black on the costal area, and dashed with dark grey 

 on the outer marginal area; there are three dark equidistant 

 spots on the costa towards apex, and a reddish brown streak, 

 interrupted by a double crescent mark, along inner margin. This 

 figure bears a very strong resemblance to his fig. 4, which repre- 

 sents C. thapsiphaga. Eeferring to fig. 3, Duponchel says, in the 

 third volume of his Supplement, that it was a mistake to call it 

 scrophularice, as it really was a variety of C. canince. Staudinger, 

 however, appears to consider that it represents C. scrophularice. 

 The other figure referred to is given in vol. iii. SuppL p. 37, 

 fig. 1, and represents a dark ochreous insect, with a dark red- 

 dish-brown streak along the inner margin, and two dashes of 

 the same colour above the middle of the outer margin. This is 

 also referred by Staudinger to C. scrophularice. 



CucuLLiA LYCHNiTis (rcct. lychnltidis, Staud.), (fig. 3). 



This species is still farther removed from C. verbasci than is 

 C. scrophularice, but it is also very close to the last-named species, 

 with which it agrees in size, but the wings are rather less broad. 

 In colour it is of a pale reddish yellow ; the costal margins 

 of the fore wings are grey-brown, slightly tinged with reddish ; 

 the clear whitish space above the crescents, which are of the 

 ground colour, is sometimes conspicuous ; the inner marginal 

 streak is less deep, the clear space near inner angle is larger, and 

 the line which precedes it is well defined at this point ; the 

 orbicular is enclosed by four black dots indicating a square ; the 

 reniform is also enclosed by black dots, which vary in number 

 from two to three on its inner side, and from four to six on its 

 outer side. The hind wings are paler. The cowl is posteriorly 

 bordered with ashy brown. 



The larva is similar to that of G. scrophularice. Each segment 

 has a semicircular yellow band, upon which are placed black 

 spots ; the two posterior spots, often united, are longer and 

 more slender, frequently joining the spot above the spiracle ; the 

 two intermediate spots on the sides of the segments are also 

 often united, forming oblique lines. A variety occurs which 

 is almost entirely yellow, with the black spots more or less 

 obsolescent. 



Feeds on the flowers and seeds of Verbascum lychnitis, V. 

 sinuatum, V. nigrum, and V. phlomoides. 



This species assumes the perfect state much later than the 

 other two, as it is not on the wing before July and August, 

 according to Eambur ; but in England, I think, the moth appears 

 in June and July. 



Var. (?) rivulorum, Guen., is larger and more ochreous in 

 colour. It occurs in France, and the larva, which is greener in 

 colour, is said to feed on Scrophularia only. 



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