244 BRITISH MOTHS 



half-Ioopers, or those with the body slender ; the wings without distinct stigmata ; the flight occasionally diurnal ; 



the caterpillars half-loopers, but with sixteen feet, and the cocoons never subterranean. 



The Pbytonietraj are divided by him into three sections : — 



1st, Metallica3, or the genus Plusia of modern authors. (See Plates 51 and 52.) 



2nd, Graciles, with slender bodies ; and 1 



. I comprised in our Plates 53 and 54 ; 



3rd, Sulares, with more robust bodies, and variegated wings, J 



whilst his Hemigeometras occupy our Plates 55 and 56. 



The name Pliytometra has been restricted to the pretty little insects next described, by Mr. Stephens, who 



has entirely rejected Ochsenheimer's name, Anthophila, which has been used in other departments of Entomology. 



Guenee and Boisduval, however, still retain the latter name, Guenee, giving it to other insects, and using 



Pliytometra for our species, which is distinguished from all the allied species by its long, ascending, compressed 



palpi, with a long, ensiform, terminal joint ; the antennas are slender and setaceous ; the thorax and abdomen not 



crested ; the fore wings are somewhat triangular, acute at tlie tip, and without stigmata ; the perfect insect flies 



by day in heathy places in July and August. 



Nociua oJivacea^ Viewcg. 

 Noctua laccata, Scopoli. 



SPECIES 1.— PHYTOMETRA ^NEA. Plate LIV., Fig. 2. 



Synonvjies. — Noclua (F/iCff, Wieii ; Veiz; Hiibner ; ILiworth ; 

 Stephens ; Woml, Ind. Eiit. pi. 17, fig. 4-28. 

 Noctua latruncti/a, Espcr. 



This species measures |^ inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are brown, olive-brown, or pitchy brown, 



with an oblique, purple fascia beyond the middle of the wing, and a broad apical margin of the same colour, 



separated from each other by an undul.ating darker striga ; hind wings olive-brown, with the margin purplish. 



This species is very variable in the colour of the fore v^ings, which are occasionally destitute of the subundulated 



fascia, or purple colour. It is not uncommon on heaths in the south of England. 



ACOSMETIA, Stephens. 

 The species of this group have the body long and slender ; the palpi short, with the terminal joint short and 

 obtuse ; the antennre slightly pectin.ated in the males ; the head slightly tufted ; the thorax not crested ; the fore 

 wings elongate, triangular, and destitute of m.arkings. 



SPECIES 1.— ACOSMETIA LUTESCENS. Plate LIV., Fig. 3. 

 SvNoNYME, — Phytometra lutescens, Haworth ; Stephens; Wood, Ind. Eut. pi, 17, fig. 429. 

 This species measures 1^ inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are of a pale reddish luteous, nearly 

 unicolorous, and destitute of markings, but rather redder on the costa ; the hind wings brownish ; the cilia of all 

 the wings rufescent ; those of the fore wings darker. Very rare. Taken at Lyndhurst, Hampshire, in -July. 



SPECIES 2.— ACOSMETIA CALIGINOSA. Plate LIV., Fig. 4. 



Synonymes. — Noctua caliginosa, Hiibner; Ilawoitli; Stephens; Wood, Ind. Ent. pi. 17, fig. 430. 

 Anthophila iiijida, Ochsenheimer. 



This species measures rather more than 1 inch in the expanse of the fore wings, which are grayish or reddish- 

 brown, with two more or loss obscure striga across the middle of the wings ; the second more curved, and 

 indicated by dots on the veins ; also a p.aler, waved, but almost obliterated subapical striga ; hind wings gray, 

 darker towards the anal angle. Vory rare. Taken in the New Forest in June. 



