226 CIDARIA. By L. B. Prout. 



compectaria. C. conspectaria Maiut (= rupicola Woll, insulariata Wllgrn) (12 c). Very variable but easy to recognize 



by its dark colouring, strong reddish-ochreous gloss on both wings, long palpus, long aniennal pectinations, 

 crenulate distal margin of the hindwing and other characters. Occasional individual specimens may somewhat 

 resemble certain forms of quadrifasiata CI. but the more ochreous hindwing, with appreciably more crenulate 

 margin, remains distinctive. Other examples, again, recall the coloration of bistrigata Tr., which is smaller, 

 with white lines on the hindwing, more strongly chequered fringes and several structural differences, conspec- 

 taria was discovered in Sicily, but seems common in Madeira. 



inaequata. C. inaequata Warr. (1 2 c). Even more variable than the preceding. Smaller, the antennal pectinations less 



long, the distal margin of the hindwing less crenulate. The wings show, except in rare aberrations, no dis- 

 tinct ochreous gloss and the hindwing is often bicoloured, being darker and grey as far as the postmedian 

 line, paler and somelimes ochreous distally. Forewing light brown, red-brown, fuscous or occasionally clear 

 ochreous, the median area rather broad, sometimes scarcely differentiated in colour but oftener darkened (blackish, 

 dark grey, dark fuscous or red-brown), bounded by fine whitish lines or at least by rows of w^hite dots; sub- 

 terminal line almost or altogether obsolete, a pair of indistinct greyish spots sometimes present between the 

 radials. The most brightly reddish or ochreous forms seem always to belong to the ? sex. Common in the 

 Azores, March to May. 



quadrifas- C. quadrifasiata CI. {^= corculata Hufn., ligustrata Schiff.) (9d). Forewing with proximal area pale 



lata, grey with a glaucous tinge, median area moderately broad, black, or at least darkened with black lines, but 



generally remaining paler around the cell-spot. The ?? are on an average somewhat larger and oftener have 



the median band and hindwing darkened. The extremes of variation have received separate names. — ab. 



thedenii. thedenil Lanipa (^ atrofasciaria Schille, contrastaria Fuchs) has the median band quite solid, of a pleasing 



dissolulatia. velvety black, the adjoining areas weakly marked. — In ab. dissolutaria Petersen the band is altogether dis- 



ignohilis. solved into black lines. — ignobilis Btlr., from Japan, has the grey markings of the distal area extended, the 



ochreous brown almost suppressed, the dark spots between the radials usually large, confluent. Hindwing 



darkened. — Larva of moderate thickness, tapering slightly at the extremities, the skin rugose laterally; dorsal 



surface grey-brown, ventral lighter brown: an indistinct dorsal pattern of somewhat V-shaped dark marks 



followed by pale spots, then again often followed by a dark spot; a distinct black streak on the front of the 



first pair of prolegs. Polyphagous on low plants (dock, dead-nettle, primrose, etc and even Vaccinium), hatching 



about August and hibernating. Pupa rather elongate, glossy yellowish red-brown. On the wing from the end 



of June to the first part of August, in some localities even as early as the end of May. It is local, but is 



common in many pai;ts of Northern and Central Europe and its range extends to Eastern Siberia and Japan. 



spadicearia. C. spadicearia Schiff. (= ferrugaria Haw., chalcedonaria H.-Sch., ferrugata Stgy) (9e). Although I 



worked out very thoroughly, over 20 years ago, the differentiation of this species from the following, I unfort- 

 unately hesitated as to which was the true ferrugata of Clerck and much confusion still prevails on that 

 account. Thus even Dr. Rebel, in his excellent "Schmetterlingsbuch", has stated that he cannot find the 

 essential difference in the cT genitalia, the explanation being that — misled by the nomenclature in Staudinger's 

 Catalogue — he compared ferrugata and its ab. uiiidmtaria and had not, until I recently pointed out the 

 mistake to him, examined the other species, the true spadicearia. In spadicearia the cf genitalia are without 

 teeth on the 'harpes" and it further dilfers in having the forewing more strongly marked with lines, much 

 more mixed with ferruginous-ochreous in the distal area or at least in the vicinity of the geminate dark spots, 

 the median band differently shaped, often of a brighter or hghter red (less purplish), never black, the hindwing 

 darker distally than proximally (in ferrugata quite weakly marked, or darker proximally than distally), the 



confixarta. under surface much more strongly mixed with ochreous^ It is very variable. — ab. confixaria H.-Sch. has 



livinaria. the median band narrowed and the distal area somewhat weakly marked, rather uniformly ochreous. — livi- 



naria Lah. is probably, as Staudinger indicates, a very extreme aberration with threadlike median band and 



georgi. broadly darkened distal area, similar to the example figured by Barrett, pi. 344, fig. .3 g. — ab. georgi Meissl 



is an extraordinary, dark brown aberration with the median band only indicated by a narrow dark proximal 



deletata. bar and a narrow dark distal one, the latter only distinct costally. — ab. deletata Fuchs is nearly unicolorous 



ti-omsoensis. grey, the forewing with reddish tinge basally and along the costal margin. — tromsoensis Fuchs (= alpinata 

 F. Hoffmann) (9e, as alpinata) is a prevalent form at high elevations and high latitudes, but scarcely a fixed 

 geographical race; median band paler, sometimes almost obsolete, the lines which traverse it remaining distinct. 

 Typical spadicearia, including the above-described aberrations, inhabits the greater part of Europe (except some 

 asiatica. southern localities) and is also found in Siberia (Tunka and Sajan). — asiatica Stgr., from the Tarbagatai 

 district to Issyk-kul, is a very distinct race or possibly separate species with the ground-colour somewhat 

 yellowish, rather copiously (especially in the distal area) marked with darker yellowish, the basal and median 

 areas of the forewing very dull reddish to blackish, the latter much straighter-edged than in the other forms, 

 the proximal half of the hindwing rather strongly darkened. — The larva of spadicearia is somewhat elongate, 



