6 APLASTA; HELIOTHEA. By L. B. Prout. 



with. Btephos, to which its general similarity in colouring must be due more to convergence than to near rela- 

 tionship. 



8. Genus : Aplasta Sbn. 



Palpus moderate, rather rough-scaled. Antenna rather thick, tapering, in both sexes nearly simple. 

 Hindtibia with all spurs. Wings broad, rather thickly scaled; frenulum wanting. Forewing with first subcostal 

 anastomosing with costal, second wanting. Hindwing with cell rather short, second subcostal stalked, second 

 radial arising above the middle of the discocellulars, as in the Hemitheinae (to which at one time Meyrick refer- 

 red the genus). Tliis is another isolated genus, consistmg of a single species of which no near relatives are 

 known. 



ojionaria. A. ononaria i^M&ss. (= rubellata Vill., rubicapraria Hhn.) (Ic) is a variable species in colour and in the 



distinctness of the markings, which are never sharp and consist merely of a somewhat darkened line or shade 

 on both wings beyond middle, a very faint pale submarginal line, occasionally faint traces of an antemedian 

 hne on forewing only, and occasionally very faint traces of a cell-spot on both wings. The imder surface is 

 more heavily dusted, the markings more distinct. In the tj^ical from (1 c) the ground-colour is yellowish brown, 

 ruhraria. moderately irrorated with reddish. — rubraria, ab. nov. (1 c) is darker and redder, the irroration in part fuscous, 

 especially on hindwmg and underside. Specimens have been circulated under this name by the firm of 



sudaiaria. Staudtsg'er. — ab. sudataria .ff6?i. is an unimportant aberration of smaller size and rather strongly marked. 



faecahma. — faecaturia Hbn. (1 c) is a summer form recorded chiefly (through not exclusively) from the eastern part of 

 the range of the species and characterized by smaller size, paler ground-colour and more noticeable red markings. 



berytaria. — berytaria Hbn. (1 c) is an almost unicolorous greenish-grey aberration or variety from SjTia and the southern 

 Taurus. — - The larva feeds on Ononis in the spring and again about July, and assimilates beautifully to its food- 

 plant. It is rather short and stout, fusiform, with small conical head, the body green, a lateral Ime yellow, the 

 tubercles small, but dark, the covering of hairs unusually conspicuous for a Geometrid larva. The pupa is 

 moderately stout, greenish, vestigial tubercles distinct, nearly black, bearing rather stiff setae, cremaster strong, 

 with eight well-developed hooks; enclosed in a slight cocoon. The imago is double brooded, appearing normally 

 in June and August. It occurs commonly in places, but is local, in southern and central Europe and eastward 

 to Armenia. 



9. Genus: Heliothca Bdv. 



Palpus moderate or rather short, mth long rough hairs. Tongue weak. Antenna rather short, in (J 

 with rather long to moderate, in $ with very short pectinations. Legs rather short. Hindtibia without median 

 spurs. Frenulum wanting. Wings rather strong, well scaled. Forewing with first two subcostals long-stalked, 

 connected very shortly with costal. Hmdwing with second subcostal short-stalked, second radial arising above 

 the middle of discocellulars. Like the preceding genus, the present one shows some affinity to the Hemitheinae, 

 but the two have evolved along rather widely different paths. The larva of the type species has been made 

 known by Milliere, and is briefly described below. The genus apparently consists of only two species, the eastern 

 one somewhat variable, or mchned to form local races. 



dhcniclaria. H. discoidaria Bdv. (1 c). Head and body with antenna, etc. almost entirely black. Tegulae and wings 



bright golden yellow, the wings blackish at margins and each with a large, round, black discal spot. Larva 

 nearly cyhndi'ical, without protuberances, shghtly attenuated at the extremities, head small, spherical, coralU- 

 form, distinct from prothorax, tubercles small, setae minute, ground-colour gi-eyish or bluish green, dorsally 

 washed with orange. Head pink. Feeds on Santolina. Hibernates as larva, spending about 10 months in the 

 larval stage. Pupa cylmdrico-conical, smooth, anal extremity obtuse, with several small hooks; in a sUght 

 cocoon. The moth fhes in the sunshine and is very local, and known only fi'om some parts of Spain. It emerges 

 towards the end of May or in June. 



H. iliensis is very distinct from the preceding in its much paler colour, with usually duller forewing, and 



in the absence of black margins and large discal spots. Structurally, too, the relationship is not very close, the 



present species having broader forewing, shorter antennal pectinations, more oblique discocellulars, with second 



radial rising further above the middle. It suggests in some respects an intergrade towards the African genus 



iliensis. Petovia. In iliensis Alph. (1 c), the first described form, which is distributed in Turkestan, the forewing is pale 



