COSYMBIA. By L. B. Prout 149 



European siippimdaria but with the line (median shade) rather nearer to the base, strong black dots on the 

 distal margin, no white discal dots. ■ — ab. cingulata Fuchs agrees with the preceding aberration in that the cingulata. 

 median shade is the only strong marking, but differs in having this shade broad and coarse and accompanied j , . ■ 

 on each side with some dark dusting. — ab. pulcherrimata Fuchs is a more brightly coloured form with the ^^atcu"^' 

 same thick median shade as ab. cingulata bul in addition with strong rows of antemedian and postmedian 

 dots and with the space between the median and postmedian almost entirely filled with dark dusting so as 

 to form a band. Barrett figures an example (pi. 326, fig. 2b) closely approaching ab. pulcherrimata and I 

 have seen a very extreme example from Colchester. — ab. detnptaria Fuchs is almost entirely without demptaria. 

 markings, even the median shade disappearing. Though always rare, this aberration is recurrent and 

 examples occur in several of the largest collections. — ab. venata ab. nov. (^ punctaria cf var. Barrett, venata. 

 Lep. Brit. Isl. pi. 326 fig. 2e) is a remarkable aberration from the Woodforde collection, with dark lines on 

 the veins extending completely from the antemedian to the postmedian on both wings, thus crossing the 

 median shade, which is rather fine and weak. — ab. ochreifusa ab. nov. has the red suffusion replaced by a ochreifusn. 

 yellowish or ochreous, thus affording a parallel variation to peiidularia ab. subochreata Woodforde as compared 

 with decoraria Newm. There are two examples (British) in the Leech collection and Clerck in his "Icones" 

 figured another under the name of punctaria (unless, indeed, his figure is incorrectly coloured, which unfortu- 

 nately is sometimes the case.). — The egg is apparently quite similar to those of the other species of 

 Cosymbia, oval with a network of ridges, upper side with a rather large depression. Pale yellow, becoming 

 blotched with red. Larva dimorphic, bjight yellow-green or yellowish (or reddish) browTi; head moderately 

 large; dorsal line black, conspicuous on thorax and anally and forming a triangular blotch on the anal segments; 

 pt_gih abdominals with oblique dark subdorsal lines, broadly margined below with bright yellow, often 

 including spots of rust-red. Feeds on oak and sometimes on birch. Pupa similar to that of pendularia, the 

 dark dorsal dots larger and darker. The moth appears in April in warm localities, but May-June is the 

 more usual time for the first brood; a partial second generation at end of July and in August. Hides by 

 day among leaves or occasionally sits on tree-trunks. At night it sometimes visits sugar or heather-bloom. 

 Inhabits Central and South Europe, parts of Scandinavia, and Asia Minor to N. Persia. 



C. suppunctaria Z. ( = subpunctaria H.-Sch.) (5 c). Of this obscure and very local species, of which !,'*^' , ^.^ 

 the specific right was often doubted until Bastelberger settled the question by the study of the genitalia, I 

 have before me Zeller's 4 originals. They are smaller than normal first-brood punctaria, but slightly larger 

 than the average of the second brood. Easily distinguished by the much smoother, very uniform appearance 

 of the ground-colour, due to the entire absence of the dark grey scales; a sparse sprinkling of red scales 

 visible only with a lens, gives to the pale ochreous-brownish ground-colour a slight fleshy tinge. As in 

 punctaria ab. communifasciata the only conspicuous marking is the fine dark reddish-grey median line, which 

 on the forewing is slightly curved, on the hindwing almost straight; a fime curved antemedian (nearly as in 

 ruficiliaria) is indicated but very rarely at all distinct, and the dark dots of the postmedian are not strong, 

 a very weak terminal line consists of short strokes between the veins; according to Rebel there are usually 

 white discal dots (not dark-ringed), but these are scarcely visible in Zeller's specimens. Underside paler, 

 still more weakly marked. Perhaps nearest in aspect to certain examples of ruficiliaria ab. privataria or to 

 weakly-marked linearia f. strabonaria ; distinguishable from the former by the less coarse dusting and smaller 

 discal dots, from the latter by rather less reddish tone, less distinct antemedian and postmedian lines and 

 smaller discal dots. The forewing is not quite so broad as in ruficiliaria, its distal margin not so sinuous as 

 in punctaria; but its shape appears to vary somewhat. No striking varieties or aberrations are recorded; 

 Zeller's "var. b", with the antemedian and postmedian lines rather better developed than in the type-form, 

 does not deserve naming. Very local, only known from Italy and the southern parts of the Austro- 

 Himgarian Empire. 



C. linearia Hbn. ( ^= trilinearia Bkh. nee Hbn. = ? luteolaria fill.) (5 c) cannot be confused with any, linearia. 

 other species of the genus, on account of its brighter and deeper ochreous colouring. The postmedian series 

 of dots is, with some exceptions, connected into a line and the- antemedian line also is not broken up into 

 dots; the median shade is well developed, except in one or two very extraordinary aberrations, but it varies 

 greatly in thickness and in position; most commonly it is somewhat nearer to the postmedian than to the 

 antemedian; white discal dots are commonly present but not conspicuous, not black-ringed. — f. strabonaria strabonaria. 

 Z. (5 c) is the second brood form and differs so constantly and so markedly that it was formerly beUeved to 

 be a separate species. Besides being smaller, it is of a much more reddish tone, the lines sometimes more 

 weakly expressed, sometimes more reddish, discal dots usually rather conspicuous, on hindwing often black- 

 ringed. There can be no doubt that the change of colour is brought about by higher temperature and it 

 may be conjectured that the (very rare) occurrence of ochreous forms in this second generation, which has . 

 been recorded in England and perhaps elsewhere, is due to exceptional climatic conditions. — ab. nigrosparsaria snars'aria. 



