Publ. 10. IV. 1913. PTYCHOPODA. By L. B. Prout. 121 



marking is a nearly straight dark median shade, indistinct and immediately following the discal dot on 

 the forewing, strongly blackish-dusted and considerably before the dot on the hindwing ; subterminal line very 

 broad, only slightly waved, bordered on each side by a pale reddish line; distal marginal line fine, dark; fringes 

 with blackish dots at the base. Underside very pale, forewing scarcely dusted with grey, a whitish stripe 

 before the distal margin. Taken near Los Sauces, 25 August 1889, in a damp place among Mentha pulegium. 



Pt. eugeniata Mill. (= seeboldiata Rossi.) (4e). Nearest in colour to the less pinkish red forms of in- ougeniata. 

 carnaria but on an average larger, rather brighter and readily distinguishable by the markings, which slightly 

 recall, as Millieee says, those of the genus Gosymbia, a greyish median shade being present and the postme- 

 dian line denticulate on the veins or almost broken up into conspicuous dark vein-dots. Antemedian line 

 weak, curved, often obsolete; discal dots distinct; distal marginal line, as in incarnaria, best developed be- 

 neath; fringes with conspicuous black dots at base; costal margin of forewing, both above and beneath, more 

 yellowish, as in incarnaria. Under surface much less reddish, the hindwing pale, the forewing usually somewhat 

 suffused with greyish; discal dots and median and postmedian lines usually well expressed. The structure 

 shows no material difference from that of incarnaria and obsoletaria, the (J antennal ciliation being very 

 short and the hindtarsus extremely abbreviated. I am not acquainted with any account of the early stages 

 of this local species. It was discovered on uncultivated land near Marseilles, flying in July, and has since been 

 found in Spain, particularly in the vicinity of Bilbao. I have recently seen some variable examples from 

 Gibraltar, collected by Captain J. J. Jacobs. 



Pt. oranaria Bang-Haas from Southern Oran, is said by its author to be probably best placed in the oranaria. 

 vicinity of eugeniata, from which however it differs essentially in the long ciliation of the ^ antenna. The leg 

 structure is not described. Reddish grey-brown irrorated with blackish. First line (on forewing only) present 

 but weak, emphasized by black dots, especially at the posterior margin. Postmedian line strongly developed 

 on both wings, consisting of a series of very distinct black vein-dots in part connected by a fine line; its 

 course almost exactly as in eugeniata. Both wings with distinct black discal dot. Fringes concolorous, with 

 strong black dots at the ends of the veins. Hindwing regularly rounded. Underside dirty yellow-brown with 

 weak blackish median -shade, distally to the discal dot, and very weak postmedian consisting of dots on the 

 veins. The black dots on the fringe are also much weaker than above. Expanse 20^ — 22 mm (22 — 24 mm, English 

 measuring). Only two specimens known, the cj more strongly marked than the $. 



Pt. heUanthemata Mill. (= obsoletaria part Mill, neo Rbr.) (7d) is in its t3rpical form a quite unmistakable helianihe- 

 species, recognizable by its small size, reddish ochreous colouring and narrow blackish median b a n d on both ^"^ ' 

 wings. The ground-colour is on an average rather lighter in the ^ than in the $, which latter is often almost 

 more red than ochreous; according to Milliere very light naples yellow forms also occur in both sexes. The 

 other lines vary in strength of expression but are seldom very strong; they are bent or curved near the costal 

 margin of the forewing. ,The cell-spot of the forewing is concealed by the median band ; that of the hindwing 

 is distinct, placed distally to the median band; the fringes bear strong black dots opposite the veins. The 

 under surface is a little paler than the upper, with the markings rather more strongly fuscous. The wings 

 are rather, but not extremely narrow, the hindwing with moderate or rather shallow excision between the radials. 

 (? antennal ciliation short, hindleg short and weak, tarsus strongly abbreviated. According to Milliere extra- 

 ordinarily variable, aberrations occurring, nearly as frequently as the t5rpe form, in which the median band is 

 entirely wanting, producing a very different impression and resulting in some confusion with obsoletaria Rbr., 

 but distinguishable by their smaller size and more pointed forewing. I would add that the hindwing of obso- 

 letaria is not excised between the radials. Milliere himself first figured this aberration under the erroneous 

 name of obsoletaria, where it is still quoted with a query in Staudinger's Catalog ; later he corrected his error 

 and figured other examples of it under the correct name. It appears that they are also often of a lighter co- 

 lour, like that of obsoletaria or sylvestraria. As I have not seen them in nature, and have only a pair of 

 typical helianthemata before me, I abstain from naming the form; especially as I think it not unlikely that 

 it may prove identical, except in size, with my new substraminata. Milliere says that the two forms fly 

 together, throughout July, while obsoletaria is on the wing a fortnight later, and never in the same localities. 

 He does not explicitly indicate whether he has ever bred his two forms from the same larvae. The larva is 

 short, tapering anteriorly, carinated laterally; ochreous greyish, the markings ill-defined; dorsal line slender, 

 brown, showing on the thorax and last few segments, broken into a sagittate pattern on the intermediate 

 segments; subdorsal fine, brown; lateral pale, uninterrupted; head small, globular. Pol3rphagous, feeding 

 on dry leaves or flowers; grows very slowly, spending at least 10 months in the larval stage, sometimes 12 months. 

 Pupa of medium proportions; reddish yellow. The moth loves the sunny clearings in woods, and inhabits 

 Southern France and Catalonia. 



IV 16 



