PuU. 20. III. 1913. PROBLEPSIS. By L. B. Prout. 49 



is formed nearly as in amata; cell-spot weak, elongate. Underside similar, the oblique line still weaker, the 

 cell-spot stronger. I am acquainted with too little material to say whether the variation is in large measure 

 sexual or geographical; it is certainly not entirely sexual, as is suggested by Hedemann and by Staudinger's 

 citations. — rectistrigaria Ev. (= puziloi Ersch.) is the form with the transverse markings present, and is ap- recUsiri- 

 parently the commoner, at least in the provinces of Irkutsk, Transbaikal, etc. According to Alpheraky, all the .9«»Ha. 

 specimens collected by Herz at Witim belong to this form. On the other hand a (J from Amurland figured 

 by Hedemann belongs to the following form. It will probably prove that the $$ are on an average the 

 more strongly marked. — ■ obsoleta form. nov. (5 g). I propose this name for the form with all the markings dbsoUta. 

 obsolete, which is the only one yet known from Kamtschatka, and which Alpheraky suspected would prove 

 to be a local race is that country. But, as shown above, it also occurs as a (J aberration in Amurland, while 

 on the other hand it is possible that some $9 from Kamtschatka will prove to show at least traces of 

 the markings. 



10. Genus: ProMepsis Led. 



Palpus iisually rather slender, with appressed scales; terminal jomt distinct, in ^ very small, in $ 

 somewhat longer. Antenna in cj pectinate or dentate, the teeth ending in fascicles of cilia ; in $ shortly or mi- 

 nutely ciliated. Pectus more or less hairy. Femora sometimes hairy. Hindtibia in ,^ much dilated, with 

 strong hair-pencil, spurs wanting; in $ with all spurs. Hindtarsus in ^ abbreviated. Wings always bearing 

 some metallic, silvery scales. Forewing with areole simple, first subcostal arising at or just before its apex; 

 third discocellular incurved; first median arising from cell. Hindwing with costal anastomosing with cell at 

 a point or rather more, then rapidly diverging; second subcostal arising from cell; discocellulars straight; 

 first median arising from cell. 



An exceedingly natural genus, showing very little stuctural variation except in the ^ antenna and the 

 degree of hairiness of the pectus. Fortunately those species which would be the most difficult to differentiate 

 from Acidalia by the antennal structure are just those which have the pectus most densely hairy. But in any 

 case the stronger build, the wing-pattern and especially the metallic scales would distinguish all the species from 

 Acidalia. The genus is a direct derivative of Somatina, the only essential difference being that the areole is 

 simple. 



The species are scattered in the Palearctic (except westward), the Indo-Australian and the Aethiopian 

 regions, but are not very numerous. Information is wanting regarding their habits and life-history. 



A. (J antenna bipectinate. 



P. ocellata Friv. (= ommatophoraria Ghien.) (5 a). In this species, the type of the genus and a very ocellata. 

 good representative of its usual type of markings, the ground-colour is of a less clear white than in most of the 

 others, being somewhat tinged with brown. The forewing bears a rather ill-defined mner line, strongly bent 

 or angled behind cell; a very large roundish-oval central ocellus, reaching from the subcostal vein to the 

 submedian fold and about one-third as wide as the length of the wing, its outside ring dark brown and re- 

 gular, its colour within light brown but containing two whitish anterior and two black posterior wedge-shaped 

 spots, a ring of metallic, partly black-edged spots witliin the dark-brown ring and a few minute metallic spots 

 on the black wedges ; a small dark patch between the ocellus and the posterior margin ; a strongly curved fuscous 

 brown line near the distal margin, followed by a row of interneural spots and these again by smaller spots. Hind- 

 wing without proximal line, the ocellus drawn out so as to reach the inner margin, some of the metallic 

 spots enlarged, but the black ones wanting; postmedian line parallel with the distal margin, followed as in 

 forewing. Under surface with the principal markings showmg through very fauatly from above. Vertex of head 

 fuscous. Very local, froin Greece and Crete to the Taurus and Syria. — • The form cinerea Btlr., from Camp- cinerea. 

 bellpur, perhaps scarcely constitutes even a local race. It is slightly more brownish in tone and has the ocelli 

 broadened, especially on the hindwing. 



P. deliaria. Ground-colour pure white, inner line entirely wanting, ocellus nearly always narrower 

 than in ocellata and more irregularly shaped, the ring surrounding it much lighter brown; outer line also lighter 

 brown, usually thickened, the spots beyond it larger but lighter; posterior margin of forewing in basal half 

 more or less strongly marked with silvery scales. On the hindwing the ocellus is still further narrowed, and 

 scarcely deserves that name ; often the brown shading which characterizes it in most of the species here becomes 

 very weak, and the most prominent markings are the silvery rings (the larger one, much elongate, reaching 

 to just beyond the second median vein, and a second, small one at the abdominal margin, but both generally 



IV 7 



