76 THE LEPIDOPTERA OF CEYLON. 



along abdominal margin. Thorax brownish-oclireous, a black spot on each tegula ; 

 abdomen crimson, with a dorsal and two lateral rows of black spots; abdomen 

 beneath whitish-ochreous ; front of head and palpi black ; legs pale brownish-ochreous 

 beneath, crimson above and tipt with black, tibige and tarsi black ; antennae black. 

 Expanse 2 to 2^ inches. 



Genus RHODOGASTRIA. 



Rhodogastria, Hiibner, Verz. bek. Schmett. p. 172 (1818-25). 

 Amerila, Walker, Catal. Lep. Het. B. M. iii. p. 725 (1855). 

 Pelochyta (part), Hiibner. 



Forewing elongated, triangular, mostly semitransparent : first subcostal emitted 

 at one-fourth before end of the cell, second from close to the end, trifid, the third 

 being thrown off from below at about one-third above its base, and the fourth from 

 the third near the apex ; fifth from end of the cell, curving upward and touching the 

 third near its base ; discocellular inwardly oblique, bent near upper end, radial from 

 the angle ; two upper medians from angles in a line with the discocellular above end 

 of the cell, second median from end of the cell, first or lower at nearly one-half before 

 the end ; submedian recurved : hindwing short, triangular, semitransparent ; costal 

 vein extending to apex ; subcostal joined to costal from near its base to one-third 

 before end of the cell, two subcostal branches from end of the cell ; discocellular 

 slightly concave ; cell extending nearly three-fourths the wing ; two upper medians 

 from angles at end of the cell, second from near the end, first or lower at nearly one- 

 half before the end; submedian and internal vein slightly curved. Body robust, 

 squamous ; palpi porrect, first joint short, slightly pilose, second and third joints 

 squamous, second extending half beyond the vertex, third joint short, thick ; antennge 

 slender, ciliated ; legs long, squamous. 



RHODOGASTRIA ASTR^A (Plate 108, Fig. 1, c?, la, larva). 



Sphinx asfreas, Drury, Ins. ii. pi. 28, fig. 4 (1773). 



Amerila astrcea, Moore, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 682. 



Phalwna melanthus, Cramer, Pap. Exot. iii. pi. 286, fig. B (1782). 



Rhodogastria melanthus, Hiibner, Verz. bek. Schmett. p. 172. 



Amerila melanthus, Walker, Catal. Lep. Het. B. M. iii. p. 727 (1855). 



Wings pale ochreous-brown : forewing with the cell and large interspace between 

 the veins from the subcostal to submedian vein semitransparent ; a broad discocellular 

 streak, the apical border and exterior margin darker brown : hindwing with the cell 

 and discal area semitransparent; head and thorax pale ochreous, black spotted; 

 abdomen above dark crimson, with two lateral rows of black spots; abdomen 

 beneath pale ochreous ; palpi crimson, with black bands ; antennae crimson ; legs 



