42 



BRITISH MOTHS 



U.O^tt^tt'^^ 



H.Xi. 



ELECTRA, Stephens, Curtis, (pahs). CIDARIA, p. Treitschke. 

 These insects are distinguished by the yellow tints of their wings, marked with darker strigse and fasciae, the 

 anterior pair of which are somewhat more elongate-ovate than in the last group, and with the tip acute and marked 

 with an oblique fascia : the antennse are simple in both sexes ; the palpi porrected, forming a beak nearly as 

 long as the head ; the body is elongated, especially in the males, which have an anal tuft, and the caterpillars are 

 long, smooth, and slender in front. 



Species 1. — Electba comitata,''.— -(Plate LXIV., Fig. 18.) — This species measures about 1^ inch in 

 expanse of the fore wings, which are of a yellowish buff colour, clouded with fulvous, and with the middle of the 

 wing occupied by a very broad bar of a greyish-brovra colour ; the middle pale, with a dark dot, the sinuated 

 edges darker, and bearing several darker parallel curved lines ; the base of the wings also with a darker fascia, 

 and a darker oblique dash running to the apex ; hind wings pale whitish-buff, and silky. The caterpillar is varied 

 with green and brown, with a yellowish lateral stripe, and with a pale head striped with brown. It feeds on 

 Chenopodium album, and the moth appears in July, flying about banks in various parts of the country, rather 

 commonly. 



'Synonymes. — Phalana Geometra comitata, Umu.; Fabricius ; i Geometra chenopodiata,^\eu.Yen.. ; Hiibner; Wilkes, pi. 71. 

 Albin, pi. 47, fig. 79, f— i. Haworth ; Stephens ; Wood, fig. 589. \ Phal. Geom. dolata, Linnaeus ; variety. 



Species 2. — Electra populata ". — (Plate LXIV., Figs. 19, 20.) — Measures about 1^ inch in expanse 

 of the fore wings, which are pale yellow, with two strigse, and the apical margin brovra, the base often v?ith an 

 incurved striga ; the middle of the wing with a broad irregular dark bar bilobed in the middle behind, and 

 paler towards the costa and hind margin ; a triangular pale patch at the apex, followed by a dark oblique dash 

 and dusky cloud ; hind wings almost destitute of strigje. The caterpillar is green, varied with yellow, and with 

 a yellow head : it feeds on the poplar, and the moth appears in July, in the north of England and Scotland. 



* Synonymes. — Phalmna Geom. populata, Linnaeus ; Hubner ; I not of Haworth ; Lep. Brit. 

 Haworth; (Ent. Trans. 1, 337); Stephens; Wood, fig. 590; but I Ph. G. cuspidata, Slewait. 



Species 3. — Electra spinachiata ^. — (Plate LXIV., Fig. 21.) — This species measures froml^- to 1^ inch 

 in expanse of the fore wings, which are varied with yellow and fulvous, and having three angulated strigas and an 

 oblique dark dash at the apex, of brownish yellow ; the first striga is near the base, the second near the middle, 

 and the third beyond it, all nearly rectangularly bent on the outside, the outer one with a simple lobe : the hind 

 wings pale and spotless. Cilia yellow, with a row of distant brown dots. The caterpillar green, with a pale 

 line on each side, edged above vyith dusky : it feeds on the gooseberry and currant, and the moth appears in 

 gardens about the end of June, and is very common. 



I" Synonymes. — Phalmna Geometra spinachiata, Haworth ; Stephens; Wood, fig. 591. 

 Geometra marmorata, Hiibner. 



Species 4. — Electra testata^. — (Plate LXIV., Fig. 22.)— Varies from 1^ to li inch iu expanse; fore 

 wings yellowish-grey, clouded with buff, with three slender brovniish strigEe, at equal distances apart ; the 

 third almost bent at a right angle, and followed by a very broad bar, of a darker colour than the ground of the 

 wing, with an indistinct central striga, and followed by a white streak along the outer margin, which is much 

 bent ; a pale, triangular patch at the tip of the wings, behind which is a bright fulvous brown shade ; hind 

 wings pale whitish, with the apex slightly darker, preceded by a slender white striga. It is variable in the 

 intensity of its markings. Taken at the beginning of May and again in September, and widely dispersed, but 

 less common than the last species. 



*= Synony'mes Phalcena Geom. testata, Linnaeus ; Haworth; Stephens; Wood, fig. 592. 



Geometra achatina, 'H'abaet ; fig. 301, (5')408. (V); Stephens; Wood; fig. 593, (variety). 



