ORTHOLITHA. By L. B. Prout. 159 



lines or stripes, the dorsal area often with a dark band. It is full-grown in .April or May, when it changes, 

 in a slight cocoon, to a light brown pupa with dark wing-veins. The moth sits among grass or low plants 

 and, although a true night-flier, is very easily disturbed by day. It is on the wing throughout the summer 

 months and is common in the greater part of Europe except the most northerly and southerly parts; also 

 recorded from Asia Minor and Transcaucasia. 



0. langi Chr. (11a). Nearest to the following species, but very distinct. Coloration lighter and less langi. 

 varied, the markings of the proximal and distal areas consisting of wavy lines of about uniform intensity, 

 without the dark basal patch and dark distal markings of chenopodiata, even, the oblique apical streak not very 

 strong. The dark median is also less variegated in colour and the hindwing very weakly marked. The ?, 

 which is here figured, is more yellowish than the cf. Larva unknown, suspected of feeding on Cephalaria 

 procera, which was abundant where Christoph discovered the moth. Flies in July and August. Abundant 

 at Kasikoperan, Transcaucasia. Occurs also in the extreme north-east of Asia Minor. 



0. chenopodiata L. {— limitata Scop. = mensuraria Schiff) (6i). Yellowish brown, with numerous chenu- 

 dark vmdulate lines; forewing with central area darkened, comprising two distinct shades, the middle being -?"' ^"^ • 

 greyer, the edges more ferruginous. In addition, the ?? are usually brighter yellowish than the cTcf, but both 

 sexes vary in tint. — ab. monodii Th.-Mieg (= prieta Ribhe = ? fumata Nitsche) is a dark form with both monochi. 

 wings smoky above and beneath, median band very dark. Perhaps forms a local race in the North of England; 

 the synonyms perhaps represent less extreme forms and fumata (said to be small) is possibly nearer to the 

 following. — grisescens Hormuz., from the alpine and subalpine regions of Bukovina, is probably similar to grisescens. 

 monodii but is much smaller than the type, grey-brown, the postmedian line straighter than normal. — ab. 

 unicolor Th.-Mieg has the forewing almost uniformly coffee-brown, with the median band not darker. Rather wiicolor. 

 frequent in the south of France. — ab. defasciata Rhl, foimded on a unique aberration in the Capper collection, defasciata. 

 has the antemedian line placed nearer the base than usual and the postmedian of both wings removed to less 

 than 2 mm. from the distal margin. ■ The median area of the forewing is thus extraordinarily broad and 

 • moreover it is of a uniform ground-colour, not darkened. Ribbe has recorded under this name 2 examples 

 from Andalusia with no darkened central area, but these should probably be referred to unicolor. — ab. 

 violacearia Lambill. is described as having the ground-colour of Ihe forewing pale yellow and the median violacearia. 

 band violaceous yellow and is said to be very rare in Belgium. — ab. medioprieta Bihhe is described as having medioprieia. 

 the basal area of the forewing above darkened as well as the median. If this refers to the entire area 

 proximally to the median band, it must be a striking form. Founded on a single specimen taken in the 

 Sierra de Alfacar. — sibirica B.-Haas is a local race from the Kentei Mountains, differing markedly in its siUrica. 

 lighter, more yellow- brown colouring. I have not seen it, but it was founded on a large number of specimens. 

 — The egg is nearly spherical, slightly glossy, the polygonal pattern usually weak and irregular, somewhat 

 variable, in part marked by small knobs at the angles; whitish grey, changing in a few days to dark yellow. 

 The larva is moderately thick, of similar form to that of mucronata and with similar stiff bristles, the tubercles 

 black, rather conspicuous; ground-colour grey or slate-colour, usually with distinct bluish tinge, the ventral 

 area somewhat paler and more yellowish; longitudinal lines dark. It feeds on various low plants, especially 

 Papilionaceae, but is very retiring in its habits and — in contrast to the imago — rarely met with. It is 

 full fed in June. The moth appears in July and August, is extremely abundant in rough grassy or weedy 

 places in the greater part of Europe and extends across Asia to the Amur and Ussuri district. It flies freely 

 about midnight and is strongly attracted to light; but it is very easily disturbed by day, when it flies about 

 restlessly but not very rapidly and is, as Barrett says, very fastidious about choosing its next settling-place. 



0. feliciaria D. Luc. and Joannis is unknown to me but is said to be near the preceding, with the feliciaria. 

 forewing elongate, falcate at the apex and with sharply-defined white lines bounding the basal and median 

 areas, the postmedian especially conspicuous. The ground-colour is brown, the basal and median areas slightly 

 darkened. Only known from Tarf, near Calle, Algeria. 



0. moeniata Scop. (6i) is a very easily-recognized species and in general not very variable. The tnoeniata. 

 broad median band of the forewing, darkened in its distal half and with a strong, pointed distal projection 

 in the middle is very characteristic; the proximal edge of the band, on the other hand, is nearly straight. 

 Ground-colour pale violet-grey, narrowly shaded with rust-colour or yellowish on either side of the fine white 

 Unes which bound the median area. — ab. diniensis Neuhurger, described from Digne, is lighter, more yellowish, dmiensis. 

 the median band more fawn-coloured. — Egg very small, oval, almost spherical, orange-yellow, surface shiny. 

 Larva ash-grey, sometimes darker, sometimes more reddish, the surface sprinkled with dark brown atoms 

 which mediodorsally are condensed into a row of spots and on each side of this row form two longitudinal 

 lines (dorsal and subdorsal); ventral surface light brown-grey with brown stripes and a reddish medic-ventral 



