HEMrrHEA; DIPLODESMA. By L. B. Protjt. 23 



22. Genus: Heiiiitliea Dup. 



. Palpus with third joint in $ elongate. Antenna in both sexes cihated. Hindtibia in ,^ long, with a sheath 

 enclosing a hair pencil and with only one pair of spurs, in $ with all spurs, hindtarsus in (J abbreviated. Ab- 

 domen crested. Forewing with first subcostal usually free, first median occasionally stalked. Hindwing bent 

 or shortly tailed at end of third radial, costal anastomosing at a point with subcostal, second subcostal and 

 first median both stalked. — The egg is a flattened disc, with the usual hexagonal pattern. The larva is slender, 

 very firm and twig-like, the head and prothorax deeply bifid, the body rough, with white spicules, but without 

 marked protuberances, a lateral flange well developed. Although it does not possess the special tubercles or 

 clothing of Comibaena, it is said to have a habit, in early life, of covering itself with threads, to which particles 

 of dust and dirt adhere. — The genus is Palearctic and Indo-Austrahan. 



H. aestivaria Hbn. (= strigata Mull, nee Scof. = thymiaria Schiff. nee Linn.) (2 d). Green, the costa aesHvaria. 

 of the forewing speckled with brown, both wings with a subdentate whitish postmedian line which is slightly 

 dark-shaded proximally, forewing also with an antemedian line, fringes dark-spotted. Under surface whitish 

 green, unmarked. The egg has not been fully described. It is shaped as indicated above, in our generic diagnosis. 

 The larva is very variable in colour, green, brown or purplish, with a dark dorsal line mdening into dorsal triangles 

 which are in part margined with white. It is polyphagous, though with a preference for trees or bushes, oak, 

 hawthorn and sallow being a few of its favourites. It hibernates small, and is full fed about the beginning of 

 June. The pupa is slender, hght-brown, with a dark dorsal line, and rests in a slight cocoon among leaves. The 

 moth flies in July and early August, and is locally common in a gi'eat part of the Palearctic Region from North- 

 east Spain to Japan, though avoiding the high latitudes. It prefers wooded country or thick hedges, and is easily 

 disturbed by day from its resting-places among the foliage. In the evening it fhes vigorously, and is sometimes 

 attracted to flowers or artificial sweets. It varies much in size, the Japanese specimens in particular being 

 much larger than the Western ones, but it is otherwise very constant. — alboundulata Hed., described from a albounda- 

 single example from Amurland, is somewhat problematical, but almost certainly a rare casual aberration of this "*"• 

 species, with the lines unusually approximated. 



H. ussuriaria Brem. (2 d). Light green, with the usual white lines waved, but not dentate, the aiite- ussuriariu. 

 median indistinct; the antemedian is accompanied distally, and the postmedian on both wings proximally 

 by a dark green hne. Under surface paler. Occurs from the middle of June to the beginning of August in Amur- 

 land and north-eastern China. 



H. nigropunctata Warr. (2d) was described from northern IncUa, but specimens in coll. PuNGELERfrom nlgro- 

 Nikko, Japan (formerly identified as amphitritaria) agree so accurately with it that I have little hesitation in ^^^'"'^ " "' 

 adding it to the Palearctic fauna. It is of a rather brighter, less opaque green than aestivaria, with less pronounced 

 tail to the hindwing, and with a conspicuous black discal spot on each wing; fringes unspotted; abdomen dor- 

 sally darker, more variegated (red and fuscous). We have copied Warren's figure, but the costal margin should 

 be speckled with black. 



H. distinctaria Walk. (2 d). Bluer green than either of the preceding, shape about as in nigropunctata. distinciaria. 

 Readily distinguished by the postmedian hne, which is fine, clear, on the forewing straight and not waved or 

 dentate (parallel with chstal margin), on the hindwing only very slightly bent opposite to the angle in the distal 

 margin. Abdomen dorsally marked with fuscous, the crests small, fuscous. Described from Sikkim, where 

 it appears to be common, but extends also into Tibet. 



H. confusaria Stgr. (5 a) from Amurland, was described by comparison with pretiosaria (Ghlorissa), oonfusaria. 

 from which the much longer and stronger antennal cilia of the ^ separate it. But according to a cotype kindly 

 lent us for figuring, it is certainly a Hemithea, with strong abdominal crests and closely related to distinctaria. 

 Abdomen dorsally pale reddish brown, not fuscous. Postmedian line denticulate, less straight. 



H. marina Btlr. is a smaller, more delicate species, reminding of an lodis. Abdominal crests marina. 

 weak, but present. The white lines are present but rather faint, their course nearly as in aestivaria, from wliich 

 marina differs in its smaller size and unspotted fringes. I have not seen any perfect specimens, and cannot 

 say positively that it may not prove to be a form of ussuriaria. Japan and perhaps Korea. 



23. Genus: Diploflesma Warr. 



Characters of Hemithea, but abdomen not crested, first subcostal arising from the stalk of the others, 

 beyond first radial, usually running into costal. In the name-type of the genus, celataria Walk., the second 



