THE ENTOMOLOaiST 



Vol. XXIX. 



JANUARY, 1896. 



[No. 392. 



ABERRATION OF ARCTIA CAIA, 



The above figure represents a ver}^ striking aberration of A^ 

 caia, which has been kindly lent me for the purpose of figuring, 

 by Mr. P. M. Bright. 



The primaries are of normal colouring, but most of the usual 

 markings are so greatly reduced in size, and others merely indi- 

 cated by spots, that it gives the specimen a very pretty and 

 striking appearance. The secondaries are of a rose-pink orange ; 

 the usual blue-black markings are much diminished in size, and 

 clearly outlined with lemon-yellow ; the central spots of normal 

 specimens are missing (excepting a small black speck on the 

 right wing), and replaced by lemon-yellow blotches ; the red 

 thoracic collar is also missing, and the black abdominal bands are 

 reduced to three. 



A somewhat similar aberration is figured by Milliere, Plate 

 LIII., fig. 7 ; in this the markings of the primaries are greatly 

 reduced, and principally only represented by a few dots, the 

 boldest markings being along the hind margin ; the secondaries 

 are very like those of the specimen figured above, but of paler 

 ground colour. Another example of this type of variation is in 

 the collection of Mr. C. A. Briggs, and is figured in the Entom. 

 vol. xxi., p. 73, which has only the median markings of primaries 

 represented, and the secondaries are unspotted. 



ENTOM. — JAN. 1896. B 



