ETTBIEMMA. 153 



5214. EuWemma scitula. 



Erastria scitula, Embr. Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. 1833, p. 26, pi. ii. f. 16 ; Dap. Lep. 



Fr., Suppl. iii. p. 567, pi. 47. f. 4 ; Herr.-Scha£f. Eur. Scbmett., Noct. 



f. 251; Mill. Rev. d'Ent. 1884, pi. 1. £f. 1-4; Eoths. Nov. Zool. xii. 



p. 25, pi. iv. f. 29; Staud. Cat. Lep. pal. p. 230. 

 I^ola exasperata, Led. Verb, zool.-bot. Ges. Wien, 1855, p. 183, pi. 5. f. 11. 

 Agrophila gibhosa, Snell. Tijd. v. Ent. xv. p. 50, pi. 4. ff. 9, 10 (1872). 

 Erastria futilis, Swinh. P. Z. S. 1884, p. 617, pi. 47. f. 8 ; Hampsu. Moths 



Ind. ii. p. 340. 

 Etilocastra cretacea, Hmpsn. 111. Het. B. M. ix. p. 96, pi. 162. f. 17 (1893) ; 



id. Moths Ind. ii. p. 341. 



Head and tegulse reddish brown mixed witli some white, the 

 latter with white medial band, the tarsi brown ringed with white ; 

 abdomen white dorsally tinged with ochreous except at base and 

 extremity. Fore wing pure white ; the basal area with a few 

 brownish striae ; a slight brownish subbasal point below costa ; a 

 slight dark antemedial line excnrved below costa and cell ; medial 

 area with dark striae especially on outer half ; an indistinct sinuous 

 medial line ; the reniform small, defined by black, its outer edge 

 irregular ; postmedial line brown defined on outer side by white, 

 excurved from below costa to vein 4, then incurved and waved ; 

 postmedial area suffused with grey, interrupted below vein 7 and 

 with some white points on costa, subterminal line white, diffused, 

 angled outwards below vein 7 and inwards at discal fold, excurved 

 to termen at middle, then incurved and slightly waved, a curved 

 black mark on its outer edge below apex and some black points 

 between vein 3 and tornus ; a fine dark terminal line becoming rufous 

 and somewhat punctiform towards apex ; cilia white mixed with 

 brown especially on apical half and with slight dark line towards 

 tips. Hind wing white, the terminal area suffused with brown ; 

 an indistinct irregular white subterminal line ; a fine dark terminal 

 line ; cilia white ; the underside white with black points on termen 

 below veins 7 and 6. 



Ab. 1. futilis. Fore wing brownish grey. 



Hah. S. Feanoe, Leech Coll. ; Spain, Catalonia ; Corsica ; 

 Italy {Leach), Capri (C. S. Browne) ; Sicily ; Dalmatia ; 

 Algeria ; Gold Coast, Accra {Sir G. Carter), 2 S , 1 $ ; Br. C. 

 Africa, Likoma {de Jersey) 1 5 , L. Nyasa {de Jersey), 1 § ; Trans- 

 vaal, Pretoria {Janse), 2 J , Johannesburg {CooTce), 1 5 J Basttto- 

 LAND, Masite (CroiosZia?/), 1 $ ; Cape Colony, Deelfontein (/SZor/r/e^O) 

 1 5 , Capetown {Lounshury), 1 $ ; Sind, Karachi {Sivinhoe), 1 $ , 

 type futilis ; Madras, Gooty {Camphell), 1 $ , Bangalore {Watson), 

 1 $ , Coimbatore, {Walhouse), 1 $ ; Ceylon, Pundaloya {Green, 

 Mackwood), 2 $ , type cretacea. Exp. 16-20 millim. 



Larva. Kirby, Butt. & Moths Eur. p. 288 ; Hffm. Eaup. p. 143. 



Hump-backed ; green or pinkish ; the three anterior pairs of 

 prolegs absent. Feeds on the eggs of Coccidce on Fig-trees, 

 Oleanders and Yuccas, covering itself with their scales ; at the 

 Cape it preys on Lecanium liespcridum. 



