Publ. 30. III. I'JU. ACIDALIA. By L. B. Proiit. XI 



and markings nearly as in decorata, but the median line thicker, at least at the margins, forming on the costal 

 margin of the forewing a broad fuscous blotch, which touches or absorbs the discal spot. Subterminal white 

 line broad, the band which precedes it darker than in ornata, but more variegated than in most decorata, the 

 spots between the third radial and second median being rather pale and blue-greyish (and rather markedly 

 displaced distally, on account of the strong projection of the postmedian line), while the other spots are darker 

 and browner. Hindwing more weakly marked, though not always quite so weakly as in the figured example. 

 The (^ hindtibia is not thickened and the tarsus not shortened ; I find, too late to rearrange my manuscript, 

 that the former is provided with a pair of spurs, so that the species should rightly have been placed in the sec- 

 tion Pylarge — a further indication of the artificiality of that division, subtilata occurs in South Russia 

 (Sarepta) and Transcaucasia and is double brooded, flying in May — June and August — September. The larva 

 is apparently unknown. Von Gumppenberg ignorantly refers subtilata as a "var." to decorata and following 

 it immediately by a description of the larva of the latter has misled Hofmann into quoting that description 

 under subtilata. 



A. arcuaria Hbn., figured without description (Geom. fig. 137), has remained a puzzle to systematists, arcuaria. 

 and I am inclined to suspect it is an exotic species — perhaps a large aberration or close ally of the North 

 American lautaria Hbn. — introduced as European by mistake. According to a manuscript note of Don- 

 zel's, however (quoted by Milliere), it came from Italy, and it is therefore desirable to mention it here, as 

 it should belong (except for its narrower wings) to the orwato-group, possibly an aberration of congruata Z. 

 Guenee thought it might belong to decorata Schiff., but the figure shows the distal margin of the hindwing 

 entire, not excised. The antemedian and postmedian brown lines are well developed, the latter on the forewing 

 strongly incurved posteriorly, but not dentate, the median is entirely wanting. The dark distal shading is re- 

 stricted on both wings; that of the forewing all blue-grey, consisting of a pair of spots between the radials 

 and a small blotch near the posterior margin, both followed distally by a transverse streak; that of the hind- 

 wing consisting of radial and inner-marginal blue-grey streaks followed distally by brown ones. The size is 

 about that of satsumaria or small congruata. I find that Hubner himself, in erecting his lautaria in 1825, says 

 that it is "nearest to arcuaria". In any case a suggestion of Herrich-Schaffer's, that it may be compared, 

 except in size, with favillacearia Hbn. {fagaria Thnb. var.) may be set aside as entirely misleading. 



A. irrorata Baker (5d). Following Staudinger's arrangement I leave this species at the end of the irrorata. 

 genus, but it has no connection with the orwato-group. Probably he was unacquainted with this and t-wo 

 other Madeiran species (a Ptychopoda and a Cosymbia) which he places here. I have not, however, been 

 able to satisfy myself as to its nearest affinities, unless possibly it is related to guancharia Alph. I know only 

 the cj, but the neuration shows that it cannot be a Ptychopoda, with which otherwise the wing-form might 

 associate it. Narrower-winged than most Acidalia, the hindwing with distal margin waved, very weakly 

 angled at the third radial. Ochreous or rufous-ochreous, the ground-colour about as in Ptychopoda rufaria, 

 but looking rougher-scaled on account of a dense though fine irroration of reddish brown scales. The lines 

 exceedingly weak, approximately parallel with the distal margin or slightly more oblique; median shade a 

 little thickened, slightly incurved in posterior part; postmedian line rather near the distal margin, appearing 

 somewhat dentate; subterminal very faintly indicated by some macular shading proximally and distally to 

 it. Forewing with a very small black discal dot, hindwing with a rather larger and stronger one. Forewing 

 beneath without first line, the postmedian rather better expressed than above, markedly dentate; hindwing 

 almost without markings, the discal spot reduced. ^J antenna with strong fascicles of very long cilia. Hind- 

 tibia not dilated, tarsus as long as tibia. Madeira. Two specimens before me are smaller and more brightly 

 coloured than the figured type. 



The following species is unknown to me and will possibly prove to be a Ptychopoda. Guenbe, to 

 whom it was also unknown in nature, suggested that it might possibly be related to Ptychopoda seriata Schr. 

 (= incanaria Hbn.) or that it might, on the other hand, be an exotic species, perhaps near Pt. ossularia Hbn. 

 {= temnaria Gn. = terraria Gn., in err.). It seems to me scarcely possible that it can represent any form of 

 ochroleucata H.-Sch., as suggested with a query by Staudinger. 



A. accessaria H.-Sch. (= recessaria Gn.). "Reddish grey about as rufularia, with very sharply poin- acccssaria. 

 ted forewings. All the wings from the base to the straight, finely dentate median shade darker, though to- 

 wards the base less strongly so, without trace of the first line, the hindwings with black central dot; the 

 postmedian line likewise almost parallel to the distal margin, finely and sharply dentate, thick; the light 

 subterminal fine and sharp, dark-shaded on both sides. The terminal line thick and black, finely interrupted 

 at the veins, the fringes unmarked. Each joint of the antenna on each side with two pencils of different 



IV 11 



