AND THEIR TRANSFORMATIONS. 56 



Species 2. — Thera variata'. — (Plate LXVIII., Fig. 2.) — "Varies from 10 to 14 lines in expanse ; wings 

 pale-greyish, with a fulvous-brown, reddish or pitchy-coloured patch at the base, the outer edge of which is 

 dentated ; a fascia of the same colour, much angulated and narrowed, and sometimes interrupted towards the 

 hind margin, crosses the middle of the wing, bearing a small dark dot in the middle towards the costa ; the 

 outer margins of the fascia are edged with a pale streak, beyond which the wing is darker gray, with a slender 

 subapical waved pale striga ; the hind wings unspotted. The caterpillar is green, with white lines on the back 

 and sides, the latter edged with yellow. It feeds on different species of fir-trees ; iind the moth appears in June 

 or July, and again in September, when it is very abundant in fir plantations, and is widely dispersed. 



* Synonyme. — Geometra variata, Wieii. Verz. ; Hiibner ; Hatcliett, ia Trans. Ent. Soc. 0. S. pi. 7, fig. 1 ; Haworth ; Stephens ; 



Wood, fig. 635. 



Thera fulvata (Fabricius ; Stephens; Wood, fig. 636; G. obeliscata, Hiibner) is regarded as a probable 

 variety of the preceding. It has the fore wings ashy-grey, with a central sinuated reddish fascia, in wliicli 

 is a black dot ; the apical portion of the wing clouded with brown, and with an obsolete whitish subapical striga. 

 Taken in the midland and northern counties, in June and September. 



Species 3. — Thera juniperata". — (Plate LXVIII., Figs. 3, 4.) — Measures about I inch in expanse of the 

 fore wings, which are pale ashy ; the fore ones elongate-ovate, with a darker greyish ashy patch at the base, 

 edged with a bidentated blackish striga ; a broad fascia of dark gray runs across the middle of tlie wing, bearing 

 a black dot towards the costa ; the inner edge of this fascia is deeply indented, whilst the outer one is very much 

 angulated towards the costa, and deeply waved beliind, where it is much narrowed ; beyond this the wing is 

 slightly clouded with grey, and bears a slightly visible, dark, oblique line towards tlie apex ; hind wings very 

 pale grey, with a slight striga across the middle. The caterpillar is green, with whitish and reddish lines, the 

 latter above the feet. It feeds on the common juniper, and the moth frequents the bushes of that tree, about 

 which, on Box-hill, Surrey, it was taken in some abundance last October, by Mr. Bedell, with the help of a lamp, 

 not making its appearance on the wing before the termination of twilight. 



" Synonyme — PhalcBna Geometra jujiipeTaia, Linnaeus; Hiibner ; Stephens, lUust. H. 3, pi. 31, fig. 2 ; Wood, fig. 638. 



Species 4. — Thera coniferata^'. — (Plate LXVIII., Figs. 5, 6.) — Varies from 1 to I^ inch in expanse ; 

 fore wings brown, with a reddish tinge ; the base darker, terminated by a black, slender, incurved striga, edged 

 on the outside with white ; across the middle of the wing is a dark brown fascia, edged with blackish, and 

 bordered with white ; the inner margin is curved inwards, the outer one with a deep lobe towards the costa, the 

 hinder part being much narrowed ; the disc with a black subocellated dot, and with slight indications of Mn-uteiiei. 

 undulated lines ; near the apical margin is a dentated pale striga, having several short black dashes on its outside 

 towards the apex ; the edge with small black dots arranged in pairs ; hind wings pale whitish. Taken at 

 Castle Eden Dene, Durham, in June, by G. Wailes, Esq. The caterpillar is slightly hairy, and dark-green 

 with white lines, and paler beneath. 



' Synonyme Thera coniferala, Curtis, Brit. Ent. pi. 519 ; Stephens, 111. 4, 392 ; Wood, fig. 637. 



OPORABIA, Stephens. LARENTIA, p., Bdv. 

 These insects have the palpi very minute and not porrected ; the antenna of the males have the joints slightly 

 produced within, and finely setose ; the abdomen is very short ; the wings ample, thin, and of obscure colours, 

 witli more or less indistinct waved marks, and with the margins entire and rounded, and disposed in repose in a 



fy,7>. 



L 



