PTYCHOPODA. By L. B. Prout. 117 



strongly marked; the wing-cases are in the living pupa more greenish; the posterior part of the abdomen 

 darker than the anterior; the cremas er is furnished with the usual 6 fine, hooked-tipped bristles, not with 

 "two" only, as indicated by Barrett. Varying accounts have been given of the larvae, and to some extent of 

 the pupae, of the forms mancuniata and asbestaria, but it was already long ago noticed by Rossler that this 

 species is very variable in the larval stage, and it is not surprising if the variation is in part local. The moth 

 appears in June and there is often a second brood in August. In captivity a third generation is not rarely 

 obtainable in the late autumn, though of very small size, with rounded wings. Meldola has recorded observing 

 a specimen flying among Asthena alhulata Hufn. (candidata Schiff.) and suspected a case of mimicry, suhseri- 

 ceata is attracted by a strong light and occasionally visits "sugar". Central and South Europe, North Africa, 

 Asia Minor to Transcaspia. , i 



Pt. sylvestraria Hbn. (= straminata Tr. = marginepunctata Steph.) (4d, as straminata). Ybtj sylvestraria. 

 distinct from subsericeata in the much less white ground-colour, which is pale greyish ochreous with scattered 

 black speckles, the much more conspicuous black dots at the base of the fringes, much more sinuous postme- 

 dian line and other characters. Both wings have a conspicuous though small black discal dot. The postme- 

 dian line is often rather well-developed, marked with darker dots on the veins, on the hindwing it is not only 

 sinuate inwards between the radials and again posteriorly, but is also more or less strongly angled on the first 

 radial; the two lines or shades which edge the subterminal are usually (especially the distal) very ill developed 

 or wanting. On the hindwing the median shade crosses or follows the discal dot. On the under surface the 

 forewing is a little darker, the hindwing a little whiter, the postmedian line and usually the median more 

 strongly developed than above. (J antenna about as in subsericeata; hindtarsus slightly longer — - about 

 half as long as tibia. — ab. graciliata Mann is a weakly-marked aberration, described from Bozen as a se- graciliata. 

 parate species; only the costa of the forewing distinctly dusted, median and postmedian reduced to dots 

 on the veins. — circellata Chien. ( = obsoletaria TFe-siw. nee Rbr. = folognearia Stgr.), likewise described as a circellata. 

 separate species (indeed not even compared with sylvestrarial) is an interesting form on account of its tendency 

 to constitute a local race in some places. Thus on the "mosses" of Lancashire and Cheshire it was formerly 

 of regular occurrence, and the older British lepidopterists maintained its specific right with remarkable persist- 

 ence, notwithstanding the occurrence of intermediate forms both there and elsewhere. Other localities where 

 it tends to form a race are Belgium and S. W. France. It is in general of a slightly more smoky or oliva- 

 ceous tone, the antemedian and postmedian lines of the forewing and the postmedian as well as often the 

 median of the hindwing very strongly expressed; the dots on the postmedian are usually very prominent, gi- 

 ving to this line a denticulate appearance. Sometimes the median line and the two subterminals are also 

 moderately well developed. — The larva of sylvestraria is rather slender, tapering anteriorly, the head small 

 and notched, the skin rugose and transversely folded ; grey, with a fine pale dorsal line, bordered on the middle 

 of the central segments with distinct black streaks, otherwise only indistinctly dark-edged, subdorsal line 

 very indistinct; lateral line whitish or obsolescent. Pupa reddish brown, abdomen darker-ringed cremaster 

 black-brown; wings tinged with green, the veins conspicuous. The moth inhabits damp places on heaths 

 or moors, resting by day among heather and apparently less readily disturbed than many of the species. It 

 flies in June and July and is local in Northern and Central Europe, S. France, N. Spain, Dalmatia and Trans- 

 caspia. I have not seen Asiatic examples. 



Pt. mancipiata Stgr. I have not seen the typical form, which was diagnosed as follows: "Form of mandpiata. 

 and similar to straminata {sylvestraria), ^ antenna "with much longer ciliation, hindleg short, compressed, 

 without spurs. Wings yellowish grey, with black central dot, darkened posteriorly, forewing with S^darker 

 lines (the 1. obsolete, 2. broader, 3. distinct, dentate), hindwing with 2 (the 1. broad, proximal to the cen- 

 tral dot, the outer dentate)". Granada, end of June to September. Since recorded also from Castile, Sarepta 

 and S. Ferghana. — repagulata /oj'm. ?^ow. (7 d). In theZELLER collection stand l^, 2 $$ from Sarepta, under repagulata. 

 the MS. name of repagulata Ghr., which I have no hesitation in determining as a local form of mancipiata. 

 They agree fully with the diagnosis but are as .white and at least as strongly silky as subsericeata, the distal 

 area little darkened. Discal dots very conspicuous. (J antenna with fascicles of cilia; hindtibia scarcely 

 longer than femur, rather weak, but with hair-pencil, tarsus greatly abbreviated. 



Pt. tristriata Stgr. For a knowledge of this species and the following I am dependent solely on iristriata. 

 Statjdinger's published descriptions. Forewing dirty clay-yellow with fine dark dusting and 3 (or 4) dark lines, 

 hindwing dirty white-grey with 2 dark lines. Both wings with a dark central lunule, but crossed on the forewing 

 by the second, on the hindwing by the first line and thus almost obliterated. In one specimen, where this line 

 (really the median shade) is lighter, the spot is more distinct. Base of fringe (in forewing only) with dark dots. 

 Underside dirty grey-yellow, the lunules weak, the median and postmedian lines more or less developed ; hind- 

 wing whiter than forewing, its distal half more strongly dark dusted than the proximal. Face dirty chestnut- 



