64 



AOIDALIA. By L. B. Prout. 



recalls in size and shape, the characters here given will also differentiate it, not to mention the structure of the 

 (J hindtibia. 



luridata. 



coenosaria. 



A. luridata Z. (= coenosaria Led.) (4 e). By some very unfortunate confusion, the correct identification 

 of the name of luridata was lost almost immediately after its erection, and in 1855 Lederer renamed the same 

 species coenosaria, by which name it has since been known. And to make matters worse, the name of luridata 

 Z. has been assumed to apply to a species belonging ia our genus Glossotrophia and closely alhed to confi- 

 naria H.-Sch. Zeller's type of luridata, a unique $ from Rhodes, is still extant in the British Museum collec- 

 tion, and is quite certainly a form of coenosaria, only with the dusting and markings all fuscous instead of 

 reddish, giving it a rougher aspect. Apart from all other proofs of the identity, the presence of 4 spurs 

 on the hindtibia and the normal tongue prove that it is not a Glossotrophia. Two examples before me from 

 Cyprus form transitions between this specimen and the common, lighter form. The name of luridata has 8 

 years priority and must of course be restored. On account of the misidentification. Rebel has accused Herrich- 

 Schaffer's figure, which was copied from the type, of being "misslungen" ; it is really fairly good, luridata 

 differs from marginepunctata in its more sandy, ochreous or reddish colouring, in having the vertex concolorous, 

 not whitish, the collar not darkened, the discal dots less black and the middle line more zigzag; the costal 

 spot from which the latter commences is in marginepunctata almost always placed well beyond (distally to) 

 the discal spot, while in luridata it is almost vertical to it, the line, in spite of its strong outward bend, 

 passing close to the spot or even touching it. There are many other less constant differences, but these will 

 suffice, and most of them also serve to distinguish luridata from the more similarly coloured permutata. Its 

 average size is rather smaller than either. The under surface is glossy and devoid of markings. Whether the 

 dark-marked name-type represents a local race can only be decided when further material is available from 

 Rhodes or the adjacent country. I suspect that it does not; in any case quite light forms occur in Cyprus. 

 — ab. coenosaria Led. therefore appears to be the correct name for the ordinary forms. Ground-colour paler, 

 sometimes even whitish, the markings pale reddish ochi-eous or reddish grey, varying somewhat in intensity 

 but usually rather weak. Greece to Persia, Zerafshan and Ferghana, also common in Syria and' Northern Egypt. 

 It first appears on the wmg in March and April and there are two or probably three broods during the summer. 

 PiJNGELER bred it at the end of June from April eggs, and in September — ^October from those of the June 

 brood. The larva is similar to that of inarginepunctata but more shaded with brownish, very slender and without 

 protuberances, slightly ridged laterally. Until after the last moult it is almost without markings; in the final 

 stadium sometimes with sharp or weaker dark dorsal markmgs, somewhat in the form of broken crosses. Pupa 

 also similar to that of marginepunctata, slender, amber yellow, the cremaster normal. 



Buhmuiata. A. submutata Tr. (= contiguaria Dup. nee Hbn.) (4 c, as consolidata; 4 i) is again similar, particu- 



larly in certain of its forms, to marginepunctata, and on account of the strong variability of both species 

 it is not easy to point to distinctive characters which are absolutely reliable in all cases, except that the distal 

 margin of the hindwing is more crenulafce. The ground-colour is whiter, without the ochreous tinge which is 

 so usual in marginepunctata; when it is darkened at all (as in our figure 4 i, which unfortunately is a little exag- 

 gerated) it is rather of a bluish grey than at all brownish. The distal grey shading, which in this species is 

 never absent, though variable in extent, is appreciably tinged with bluish. The distal marginal black spots 

 are enlarged into dashes, indeed in the most typical forms almost or quite united into one continuous line; 

 this line on the fore wing is continued round the apex and for some distance along the costal margin. 

 The last is perhaps the most reliable character of all. The postmedian line is usually as irregular as in permutata 

 and has on the forewing, with few exceptions, a sharper and blacker tooth on the first radial vein than on the 

 fifth subcostal, whereas in marginepunctata these teeth are about equal. The under surface is very weakly 

 marked or entirely without markmgs, the forewing suffused with grey, the hindwing somewhat paler, or in the 

 palest forms clear white. Vertex and collar as m marginepunctata. Egg elongate, ribbed, coral red. Larva 

 very elongate, scarcely attenuated anteriorly, only feebly carinated laterally ; green with a broad white lateral 

 stripe. Feeds chiefly on thyme. Pupa very like that of marginepunctata. The imago is double-brooded. May 

 to June and August to September. Distributed through Southern and parts of Central Europe and Asia Minor. • — • 



marginata. ab. marginata ab. nov. has almost the entire area of both wings between the postmedian line and the distal 

 margin filled up with dark grey, leaving only a small costal spot, the zigzag subterminal line and some 



gianellaria. narrow marks at the distal margin white. I have a fine example from Bejar, Spam. — gianellaria Trti. 

 (= vigilata Mann MS., in coll. Zeller) is a dwarfed form which shows some tendency to establish a local 

 race in Sicily and Capri. It is usually of a clean white ground-colour, rather sharply marked, the dark mark- 

 submutuiata.ings in the distal area rather strong between the radials and towards the posterior angle. — • submutulata 

 Bbl. is a similarly dwarfed form from the Morea, but differing from gianellaria in being more weakly, not more 

 strongly marked, the ground-colour equally pure white. 



farinaria. 



A. farinaria Leech is bluish white-grey finely powdered with brownish, similar in colour to the greyest 



