224 



CIDARIA. By L. B. Prout. 



tauaria. C. tauaria Stgr. (9 a). This species and tlie following are distinguished by their very weakly marked 



almost unicolorous dark wings. Black-brown, the forewing with indistinct, slightly waved antemedian, post- 

 median and subterminal lines, which, however, are sometimes almost entirely obsolete, or the subterrainal 

 broken up into white vein-dots. Underside somewhat lighter brown, markingless. ? above also somewhat 

 lighter than the cf. Antenna in cf with moderately long pectinations. Ala Tau and the Northern Thian-Shan. — 

 altitudinum. &\t\iaAm\xm Slgr. is a smaller form, unicolorous black-brown, only with some whitish scales in the tips of the 

 fringes. — Alpheraky considers it a distinct species, with somewhat different habitus. Western Thian-Shan 



alexandra- C. alexandraria Stgr. resembles tauaria but is mostly much more strongly and somewhat differently 



"'*■ marked. Forewing dark smoky brown, the median area usually somewhat darkened, a subbasal hghter band 

 sometimes present; the pale transverse lines vary in distinctness but the postmedian forms a blunt outward 

 projection before the middle (much as in fluctuata), which is not the case in tauaria; a sharply black discal 

 spot is present; subterminal white line usually distinct, regularly dentate. Underside with black terminal streaks, 

 which are wanting in tauaria. Alexander Mountains. 



fidonaria. C. fidonaria Stgr. (9 c). Probably related to the two preceding, but very distinct in the bright ochreous 



coloration both above and beneath. It varies considerably in colour, some examples of both sexes being con- 

 siderably paler than the one here figured, and there is also a good deal of variation in the strength of the 

 markings. In all forms the extreme distal margin (or at least a limbal line) is darkened, as also the proximal 

 part of the fringes. Hi district. 



praeposi- 

 taria. 



C. praepositaria S^^T. (9 c as tianschanica) somewhat recalls incursata but the palpus and antennal pec- 

 tinations are longer, the wings are a little more elongate, the transverse lines altogether less strong, more grey- 

 brownish, the median area perhaps on an average rather narrower. Both wings, but especially the forewing, 

 bear a distinct black discal dot, which affords a good distinguishing character from the 2 species which follow. 

 The ?, which I have not seen, is said to be altogether much more sharply marked than the cf. Margelan and 

 the Alai, etc. (Ferghana). Pungeler (in litt.) inclines to refer the species of this group to Ortholitha — a 

 weakly defined genus, as has already been remarked. 



tianschanica. C. tianschanica ^iljjA. (9 c as praepositaria) differs from the preceding in its more brownish, more glossy 



colouring, still weaker markings, absence of discal dots, etc. Underside with the subterminal represented by 



a row of whitish dots; costal margin of forewing more ochreous brown. Size typically larger than in oar 



figured example. This description applies to the d'\ the ? is much smaller and lighter (more clay-coloured), 



the markings sometimes almost obliterated, ^^^estern Thian-shan. — A greyer race, intermediate towards the 



following, occurs in Southern Ferghana: it is like the name-type in having a distinct pale subterminal above 



and beneath and Staudinger, who first quoted it as transitional, later referred it without query to tian- 



superposi- schanica. I propose for it the name of superpositaria nom. nov. 

 taria. 



inierposi- C. interpositaria Stgr. (9 c) is an inconspicuous species, somewhat intermediate between the two pre- 



taria. ceding; Alpheraky considers it merely a form of tianschanica. Dirty light grey with the lines more brownish, 



the median area not darkened except at its boundaries, or occasionally narrowed, by the confluence of these 



boundaries, into a sort of dark band. The pale subterminal line is usually weak, at least on the hindwing, 



postposita- and is wanting on the uniformly dark grey underside. Ferghana and Issyk-Kul. — postpositaria Stgr. from 



''*"• Southern Ferghana, is provisionally referred here as a variety or aberration, distinguished by its more pointed 



almost unicolorous wings. 



iiifernaria. C. infernaria B.-Haas is related to tianschanica but very different in (colour, grey-black, the markings 



similar, but very indistinct or in part obsolete, discal dot of forewing small, black, of hindwing weaker; ter- 

 minal line uninterrupted. Underside unicolorous grey-black. Karagaitau, Central-Asia. 



incwsala. C. incursata Hhn. (= disceptaria Fisch.-RossL, decrepitata Zett., polygrapharia Bsd.) (9d). White 



or greyish white with the markings fuscous. Exceedingly varialale, but the general course of the hues can be 

 seen from our figure. The median area of the forewing is never, so far as I know, darkened into a band; 

 the breadth of this area varies greatly. The discal dots are always conspicuous, often rather large. — ab. 



monticola- monticolaria H.-Sch. is generally smaller and has the postmedian line scarcely projecting at the ]^' median 

 ria. vein. — sajanaria (B.-Haas, M. S.) form. nov. is rather sharply marked, the median band a little more developed, 



sajanaria. [j^g pg^jg [^g^j^^j beyond it more sharply defined, the basal half of the hindwing greyer; discal dots a httle smaller 

 than the average. Sajan, Siberia, in coll. POngeler. — The egg is of a broad oval form and greenish yellow 

 in colour. The larva is somewhat elongate, rather rugose; reddish grey with a black dorsal pattern, consisting 

 on each middle segment of a short and a longer dash followed by 2 fine, obliquely diverging lines; subdorsal, 



I 



