199 



7320. Ephesia columbina. (Plate CCI. fig. 18.) 



Catocala columbina, Leech, Trans. Ent. Soo. 1900, p. 535. 



Head and thorax leaden grey mixed with black-brown ; palpi 

 blackish at sides ; frons with lateral black bars ; tegulse with 

 black-brown medial patches, the dorsum of thorax mostly black- 

 brown ; pectus white, rufous in front and below the wings ; fore 

 tibijB irrorated with dark brown and with black bars near tips, the 

 mid tibioe rufous, the tarsi black ringed with white ; abdomen grey 

 suffused with red-brown, the anal tuft mostlj'' white, the ventral 

 surface white tinged with rufous. Fore wing leaden grey ; a small 

 black spot at base of costa ; subbasal line black, excurved below 

 costa and ending at submedian fold ; some black-brown suffusion 

 before the antemedial line, which is black defined on inner side by 

 white, expanding into a patch at costa, waved and somewhat 

 oblique, a white shade beyond it from costa to below the cell; 

 reniform blackish with whitish annulus slightly defined by blackish, 

 its outer edge somewhat dentate, a blackish patch above it on costa; 

 a small oblique wedge-shaped whitish spot defined by black below 

 end of cell ; an indistinct sinuous dark line arising at vein 0, 

 excurved beyond the cell, then oblique ; postmedial line black 

 defined on outer side by white, strong, with spot at costa, bent 

 outwards below costa, then obliquely downcurved, acutely angled 

 outwards above and below vein 5, then inwardly oblique, minutely 

 dentate, excurved at submedian fold and angled inwards at vein 1, 

 a narrow brown shade beyond it expanding at costa followed by a 

 subterminal blue-grey shade with patches of dark suffusion be3-ond 

 it above and below middle ; a series of black points before termen 

 with white points beyond them on termen ; cilia brown and 

 whitish. Hind wing orange-yellow, the hair on inner margin 

 brown ; black-brown fasciae on costal area and in submedian 

 interspace before the black medial band, which is obliquely curved 

 to submedian fold, then bent inwards and ending at vein 1, its 

 outer edge slightly excurved at vein 5 ; terminal area black, its 

 inner edge oblique to vein 4 and incurved at veins 2 and 1 ; the 

 termen narrowly yellow towards apex, then with slight yellow 

 marks in the interspaces ; cilia white chequered with blackish at 

 veins 6 to 2 and towards tornus. Underside of fore wing with the 

 basal half pale yellowish, an oblique brown antemedial shade from 

 costa to vein 1, an oblique black medial band narrowing to inner 

 margin, its outer edge excurved at middle followed by a whitish 

 band, terminal area blackish, its inner edge curved, the apex 

 slightly whitish, cilia chequered white and blackish ; hind wing as 

 above, but the basal area with slight brown suffusion in sub- 

 median interspace, the inner edge of the terminal band evenly 

 curved. 



In one specimen there is a single spine on hind tibiae. 



Hah. W. China, Gmei-shan, 2 c? , 1 $ type, Chang-yaug (P/-rt«), 

 2 J, 3$. £".17). 58-66 millim. 



