124 



PTYCHOPODA. By L. B. Prout. 



adherba- 

 riata 



throughout the wing; it is either placed very near the antemedian, in which case it is often united with it to 

 form a very narrow band or bar, or the space between the two is sUghtly darkened, or it is on the posterior 

 margin midway between the lines and becomes vague in the middle of the wing, sometimes more strongly 

 expressed again as a costal spot ; the postmedian line, which is rather far from the distal margin, is followed 

 by a very narrow pale space or line, then by broad fuscous shading disposed in three blotches (somewhat as 

 in eburnata), the broad whitish subterminal line encroaching very deeply between them; the area beyond 

 the subterminal less darkened, so that in some lights the wing almost appears to be divided into two areas, 

 an extensive dark one ending in strong projections at the subterminal and a narrow paler one beyond; 

 cell-spot distinct ; large roundish black dots at base of fringe. Hindwing with antemedian line wanting, 

 postmedian more irregular, unusually close to the cell-spot, leaving about half the wing beyond it, on which 

 the pattern is about as on the forewing. Under surface pale, almost without a trace of markings, the fore- 

 wing, at least costally and distally, and the extreme distal margin of the hindwing a little darker than the 

 rest, the subterminal line sometimes traceable in purer white. ^ antennal ciliation minute; hindtibia very 

 aestiva. short, thickened, tarsus considerably less than one-half the length of tibia. — aestiva Fuchs is the second-brood 

 form, smaller and more weakly marked, in particular with the distal dark markings less developed. I have 

 some doubts, however, whether its differences from the first generation, except perhaps that of size, are suf- 

 ficiently constant to afford a genuine example of season-dimorphism. — adherbariata Stgr. (= subherba- 

 riata Stgr., nee Rossi.) is a still paler and more weakly marked form which Staxidinger thinks replaces the 

 type in Palestine and Syria but occurs with it as an aberration in the Amasia district and Armenia. I have 

 not seen it, and as Rebel has united it with the preceding as a mere aberration, it is possible that recent 

 material has shown it to be inconstant everywhere. — The egg of herbariata is nearer round than oval, yel- 

 lowish at first, changing after two days to salmon-colour. The larva is extremely variable in colour, and has 

 been rather fully described in its different stages byHEYLAERTS. Its fourth and last moult takes place in the 

 spring. In its last stadium it is thickened posteriorly, attenuated anteriorly, the head small, the body carina- 

 ted laterally, strongly rugose and granulated; head yellowish or reddish (according to Fischer von Rossler- 

 STAMM blackish brown), bordered with black; body brown, yellowish or greenish; prothorax with a blackish, 

 or blackish-bordered dorsal plate; dorsal line double, most noticeable on the first 5 abdominal segments; 

 subdorsal blackish, very variable in expression, on the 6. and 7. abdominals curved so as to form with the 

 dorsal a lyre-shaped pattern; ventral area paler, marked with numerous short black longitudinal streaks. 

 Appears to feed exclusively on dry plants in herbaria, in herbaUsts' stores, etc.; it is probably undiscriminating 

 in its selection of these, Heylabrts found it feeding on Malva sylvestris, Sorhagen on Sanicula. It feeds 

 during the winter, and is full-fed in April or May. Pupa shing light-brown with darker segmental incisions 

 and head; cremaster dark brown with the usual hooked bristles. The moth appears at the end of May and 

 in June — July and is usually only single-brooded, at least in its more northerly localities. It is found sitting 

 on walls or fences, or especially in houses or warehouses. Central and Southern Europe, N. Africa, Asiatic 

 Turkey and Transcaucasia. 



fimbriaia. Pt. fimbriata Bang-Haas should probably, to judge by the description, be placed here. It is of a weak 



brownish straw-colour, only very sparsely dusted with black scales. The lines have almost exactly the same 

 course as in laevigata, the antemedian thickened into black spots at the costal and posterior margins, the 

 postmedian somewhat more sharply bent on the 1. and 2. median veins than in that species; in places the lines 

 are somewhat strengthened by dots on the veins. Subterminal line yellowish white, rather distinct, formed 

 as in herbariata. Fringes with black dots at the vein-ends. The dark median shade is wanting on both wings. 

 Discal dots strong and distinct. On the hindwing a weak postmedian line is placed as in herbariata, a still 

 weaker, shadowy proximal line is visible posteriorly, but becomes almost obsolete at the costal margin; the outer 

 half of the hindwing shows a weak, herbaria-like subterminal line. Under surface glossy white-grey, unmarked 

 except for the weak discal dots. Antenna shortly ciliated. Described from 1 (J and 1 $ from Beyrout, Syria, 

 the male rather yellower than the $. No critical differentiation from herbariata adherbariata is given, but I 

 suppose the colour, the absence of median shade and perhaps larger discal spot would distinguish it. 



affinitata. Pt. affitlitata Bang-Haas (= semifuscaria Piing. i. 1.) (3 i) also probably belongs in the vicinity of 



herbariata, with which it closely agrees in structure, shape and coloration, though the wings appear rather 

 less glossy; ^ hindtarsus rather longer. Bang-Haas says that it reminds somewhat of laevigata and that the 

 wings are somewhat more pointed than in fimbriata. The discal dots are larger, the postmedian line on the 

 hindwing not quite so close to the dot as is usual in herbariata, the characteristic shading proximally to the 

 subterminal weak on both wings; but the essential characteristic of affinitata is the strong basal clouding 

 of both wings which on the forewing reaches to just beyond the discal dot (though fading out costally) and 

 renders the angled antemedian line very indistinct, while on the hindwing it is more restricted, ceasing before 

 the discal dot. Forewing beneath more infuscated than in the two preceding species; both wings with the 

 postmedian line indicated. Beyrout, Syria. 



