104 



PTYOHOPODA. By L. B. Pkout. 



neata; at least I can find no valid difference in a pair from Tunis kindly sent me by Herr Pijngeler, 

 who has bred it from the egg and who also considers it doubtfully distinct from fractilineata. According 

 to Staudinger the lines of the forewing are usually present, but occasionally very weak, the band before the 

 subterminal line nearly always developed, the hindwing also with the lines generally present, but not sharply 

 expressed. He mentions the similarity of structure to fractilineata, but fails to give his usual valuable com- 

 parative descriptions or differentiations, and the characters which he gives would be equally applicable to cer- 

 tain fractilineata. I can therefore only apply the name to the strongly marked forms of that species occurring 

 in Algeria and Tunis. 



lobaria. Pt. lobaria Chref. is described as being near fractilineata but with the (^ antenna "strongly pecti- 



nated". Authors do not all apply this term in precisely the same way, and from the detailed description 

 I gather that Chretien only refers to projecting joints with strong fascicles of cilia. According to Chre- 

 tien the forewing is a little prolonged apically, very pale clay-colour with sparse dark brown dusting, the lines 

 weak, especially the inner, median shade vague, narrow, subterminal line whitish, more distinct than the other 

 markmgs; hindwing with the excision between the radials very deep, leaving a broad lobe on either side, 

 colour whitish at base, then pale clay-colour with whitish subterminal line. Underside similar, but Avith the 

 lines and especially the discal dots much more distinct. Larva short and thick, carinated laterally, atte- 

 nuated anteriorly, beginning from the fourth abdominal, and posteriorly, beginning from the sixth; segment- 

 incisions rather pronounced; skin transversely folded, rugose, granulated; reddish ockreous, dorsal band 

 reddish brown, becoming tliicker and blacker at the incisions, weaker between; subdorsal similar, but 

 still more interrupted; lateral ridge pale yellowish, slightly rosy; tubercles and spiracles indistinct, setae very 

 short. Feeds in July on fresh or withered leaves. Imago in May and June, probably again later. Algeria: 

 Biskra. 



suhpurpu- 

 rata. 



Pt. subpurpurata Stgr. (3f). Another of the very small species, the only ^ known to me much 

 smaller even than the figured ,^. Ground-colour deeper and brighter than in manicaria, but not quite so bright 

 as in exilaria; both wings with the area distally to the postmedian line uniformly darker (more inclining to 

 purplish) excepting a fine line immediately adjoining the postmedian and a less fine, undulate subterminal, 

 which both remain of the ground-colour. The lines also purplish, the first (on forewing only) and median 

 sinuous, sometimes near together, the median rather thick, the postmedian following a similar course to the 

 median or rather more strongly outcurved in its anterior part; no distinct cell-spots; fringes unmarked. 

 Under surface similar, forewing without first line. (^ antennal joints somewhat projecting, ciliation not very 

 long; hindleg short, tarsus extremely abbreviated. Syria, Tarsus and Mesopotamia. Rather variable in the 

 degree of development of the distal shading. Hindwing not at all concave between radials and posteriorly, 

 merely straighter (less convex) than the intervening "part. 



sanciaria. Pt. satictaria (Sigr. (7 c) is only known to me from the figure and description, but should be quite easy 



to recognize, unless it is more variable than is yet known to be the case. Size of subpurpurata. Deep 

 ochreous, with sharp black discal dots, before which are placed on the forewing two on the hindwing one 

 black line, on the latter also some dark basal dusting; the distal of these two lines of the forewing and 

 the single line of the hindwing (i. e. the median of both wings) are angled outwards about the third radial. 

 A curved postmedian line commences at the costal margin of both wings shortly beyond the discal dot, but 

 is incomplete. In the hindwing, the second subcostal vein is very long-stalked. Under surface uniform shiny 

 clay-yellow with the costal margin of the forewing narrowly ochreous. Sometimes, at least in the cJ, the 

 proximal black lines are more or less obscured by dark dusting. Valley of the Jordan, Palestine, in May. Com- 

 pared with helianthemata Mill., but the cJ antennal structure as in subpurjjurata. 



exilaria. w \ Pt. exilaria Guen. (= transmutata Bbr. = esterelata Mill.) (4a, as filacearia; 4c) is usually of a 

 rather bright reddish fulvous, the markings rather darker, more brownish or more purplish ; the most distinctive 

 marking is the sinuous distal band, occupying on the forewing the space between the postmedian and sub- 

 terminal lines and of equal width throughout, and on the hindwing more ill-defined. Well-marked specimens, 

 such as the example we figure, represent Guenee's type and have the inner and median lines present, for- 

 med nearly as in subpurpurata. ^ antenna with fascicles of long cilia; hindleg short and weak, tarsus greatly 

 abbreviated. All the figures known to me show this form, the dark band either brownish fulvous or purplish 

 to blackish. Guenee knew also the weakly marked form and seems to be 'approximately right in treating it 

 gynochro- as characteristic of the $. — ab. gynochromaria Romberg is an extreme cJ aberration of yellower (less reddish) 

 marm. colour with the markings obsolete both above and beneath. — Larva very distinct from most species, more 

 cylindrical, of medium thickness, without lateral ridge, head large, dark, a dark prothoracic plate, body 



