TRIPHOSA. By L. B. Prout. 197 



N. England, Scotland and Ireland and similar forms occur in Finland. — Egg slightly larger and much less 

 glossy than that of dilutata and with the pitting considerably deeper. The larva, when full grown, is generally 

 extremely similar to the plain green form of dilutata, though perhaps somewhat less glossy; but occasionally 

 — as in the var. filigrammaria and some larch-feeding autumnata — it preserves the more striped appearance 

 of the younger larvae. In any case the red- or purple-blotched forms do not occur in this species. When 

 first hatched it is rather larger than that of dUidata. ' In the 2"'', '6"^ and 4"^ skins it is very different, being 

 less stout and having distinct yellow subdorsal line and lateral stripe. That of the form filigrammaria is on 

 an average of a deeper green than that of the type, but the two forms differ little until after the last moult. 

 It feeds chiefly on heather, while that of the type form affects various trees, especially birch, alder and Coniferae. 

 filigrammaria appears in August and September, aiUwmnata in September — November. It is said to be more 

 sluggish by day than dilutata. Distributed in Northern and Central Europe and Russia and extending also to 

 Siberia and N. America. Sometimes excessively abundant in Scandinavia, defoliating entire tracts of forest. 



45. Genus: Tripliosa titeph. 



Face somewhat prominent and roughened, often with projecting cone of scales. Palpus longish, rough- 

 scaled. Antenna in both sexes simple. Hindtibia with all spurs. Wings with distal margin crenulate, the 

 hindwing deeply so. Forewing with areole double. Hindwing with discocellulars strongly biaugulate. 



Larva rather stout, compact, tapering slightly at the extremities; head small. On Rhamnus, etc., hiding 

 when young between spun-up leaves; pupates in or on the ground. Pupa moderate or rather slender, the seg- 

 mentation well marked; cremaster with forked spike at end; the fine hairs on sides of abdominal segments 

 relatively rather longer than in most Larentiid pupae with which I can compare it. 



Widely distributed in the Palearctic Region, India and America to Chili. 



T. sabaudiata Dup. (5h). A large species, diifering from all the others in its very pale ground-colour, sahaudiata. 

 The markings are weakly expressed, the subterminal luie in the palest specimens entirely obsolete. Under 

 surface still more weakly marked. Distributed in mountainous country from N. E. Spain to Bosnia and from 

 Asia Minor to Issyk-Kal, occurring at varying elevations. — ab. millierata Brd. is a striking form with quite millierala. 

 dark basal patch and median bands (bars bounding the central area). — taochata Led. (5h) is a little darker than taochata. 

 the type form and more strongly markeil. It seems to be the only form known from Transcaucasia and about 

 Digne but occurs together with the type in Asia Minor and according to recent records in Switzerland. — 

 The young larvae are hght green with white longitudinal lines; full-grown they are blackish with shiny black 

 head, yellowish longitudinal lines and above the legs with elongate orange-yellow, whitish- margined spots, 

 each containing a white dot. On Rhamnus carniolica (alpina) and' young ash. Zapater and Korb give Inula 

 helenoides as a foodplant. It feeds in June and July. Imago in August. 



T. dubitata L. (5 i), the name-type and longest-known species of the genus, is not likely to be confused duhitata. 

 with any other species; Calocalpe cervinalis has a narrower central band and considerably darker hindwing. 

 In typical dubitata the forewing is rather strongly marked with numerous dark lines and beautiful vinous 

 reflections overspread a great part of the_ wing, or at least the median area. — ab. cinereata Steph. (5 i) is cinereata. 

 usually smaher, always more weakly marked and without the vinous reflections. It occurs in many (perhaps 

 in all) locahties with the type. — ab. punctigera Strand is an unimportant aberration in which the hindwing punctigera. 

 is entirely unmarked except for a discal dot and sometimes slight traces of dark dots on the veins. - The 

 larva is yellowish green with darker green longitudinal lines. 1 have found it only on Rhamnus catharticus 

 and frangula, which are certainly the favourite foodplants, but it is said to feed also on species of Prunus. 

 It is full-fed in June. Pupa dark red-brown with a slight purplish bloom, the leg- and tongue-case slightly 

 projecting. The moth appears towards the end of July or in August, hibernates in houses, caves or other 

 such retreats and pairs in the spring. It is widely distributed in Europe and is also recorded from Trans- 

 caucasia, China, S. E. Siberia and Japan. The Chinese and Japanese examples are probably best referred to 

 the cinereata form, lacking the red tinge though stronger-marked than European cinereata. 



T. sericata Btlr. {= subsericata Stgr.) (11 fas sericaria). Shape oi duhitata and' with similar gloss, but quite sericata. 

 distinct in the much more broken markings. In the typical, Japanese form — which, howewer, also occurs in the 

 Ussuri district — the ground-colour is light brownish, on the forewing with a reddish flush. — oberthiiri oberthiiri. 

 Heclem., from Amur and Ussuri, is much darker, leaden grey, not reddish. Pungeler, however, has expressed 

 a doubt whether the distinction is tenable, as the cfcf in this species are in general somewhat darker than 

 the ??. — decolor suhsp. nov., from Kwei-Chow, W. China, also lacks the reddish suffusion, but is much paler decolor. 

 than the name-type, whitish brown with the markings still more interrupted; antemedian band of forewing 



