CIDARIA. By L. B. Prout. 231 



C. schneideraria Led. (9e). Shaije nnd nuirkin^-s much as in tophaceata, from which it differB in its schneidera- 

 smaller size and in the anlennal structure. Aiiteiiua rather long, in cf with moderately long pectinations. ''«*■ 

 Ground-colour of forewing light brownish ochreous, the markings dark grey. Under surface in its distal half 

 sharply marked. Not micommon at Beyrut in April and May, resting on I'ocks in shady places. — taurica tauricu. 

 Stgr., from the Taurus, is a darker, duller form, almost or altogether without ochreous admixture. 



C. salicata is very variable in colour, but the markings vary little and as the most similar species 

 (the nehulata-gvo\\\i) lack the pectinated antenna of the cf, there need be no difficulty in determining it. Broader- 

 winged than schneideraria, the hindwing and underside less sharply marked. It breaks up into some very 

 distinct local races. — salicata Hhn. (= latentaria Curt., podevinaria Il.-Sch., ferrata H.-Sch.) (9 b) is grey, salicata. 

 with darker brown-grey or greenish-grey bands and clouding, the narrow bands on each side of the median 

 (or at least the distal one) sometimes clear whitish. N. England, Scotland, Belgium, the Alps and the mountains 

 of Hungary and Galicia, thus a northern and mountain form. British specimens are on the whole darker. — 

 probaria H.-Sch. is a much paler, ash-grey form, sometimes quite whitish, recalling the coloration of nebulata- proharia. 

 Capri, the Adriatic states of Austria, Greece. — ablutaria Bsd. (= ruficinctaria Guen) differs in showing a ablutaria. 

 more or less strong admixture of yellow scales. Widely distributed in southern Europe and Asia Minor, Syria 

 and Mesopotamia. — ochracearia Stgr. Prevailing colour light ochreous with the bands darker ochreous. ochracearia. 

 Staudinger records it from Beyrut only. — Larva moderately stout, pale reddish brown, the dark dorsal line 

 finely pale-edged, subdorsal line fine, yellowish, lateral stripe broadly yellow; spiracles black; tubercles small, 

 black, setae short. On Galium and other low plants. It hibernates in the pupal cocoon. The perfect insecf 

 thus appears very early in southern localities (March — April), but further north not till June or July; a second 

 brood in August — September. 



C, flavolineata Stgr. is said to be related to salicata but much smaller, the forewing blackish grey with fiavoUneata. 

 a divided greenish-yellow band (or double line) at one-third and a second at two-thirds, the band which lies 

 between them finely white-edged, the distal area somewhat lighter than the median, with a conspicuous white 

 spot in the apex; the yellow bands (or lines) are weakly dentate, the postmedian shaped somewhat as in 

 salicata. Hindwing dirty grey with very indistinct light postmedian band. Forewing beneath glossy grey; 

 hindwing more whitish grey with dark discal dot and dark lines bounding the pale postmedian band. Palpus 

 relatively rather long. Antennal pectinations as in salicata. Since quoting this description I have seen specimens; 

 only a small basal patch and rather narrow median band are really "blackish grey" (blackest on the veins) 

 and even these vary in colour, being sometimes brown. Granada in October, sitting on rocks in steep and 

 dangerous places. Also in the Pyrenees Orientales in September, beaten from Erica arborea. MeiTOes records 

 it .for Portugal. 



L. multistrigaria Haw. (9 c). Long-winged, the costal margin of the hindwing at least as long in multistri- 

 proportion as in Ortholitha, but the wings narrower, less strongly built. The ? considerably smaller than the cf. garia. 

 Characterized chiefly by the strongly dotted veins of the forewing, alternately dark and light. Antenna in cf 

 rather short, with moderate, rather flat-lying pectinations. — ab. nubilata Tutt is a much darkened form from nubilata. 

 the north of England, with almost unicolorous fuscous forewing, the hindwing also darkened. — ab. virgata virgata. 

 Tutt resembles the typical form but has a darker, more solid median band on the forewing. — olbiaria Mill, olbiaria. 

 (= punctatissima Stgr) is a paler, weakly-banded race from S. E. France and Catalonia. The dark dots on the 

 veins are as strong as in the name-type and thus appear relatively stronger. — The type form of multistrigaria 

 is common in many parts of England and is also recorded from Holland and parts of France and Spain. 

 Larva uniformly cylindrical, brown-grey, tinged with green dorsafly, rather paler ventrally, a blackish dorsal 

 line, at least on last few segments; spiracles minute, blackish. On Galium. Pupa dark reddish, dorsally and 

 anally more black. Imago in March and April, the southern form olbiaria in December and January, sometimes 

 already in November. 



C. didymata L. (= scabrata Hh. ^= alpestrata Hh.) (9 c). Very variable in colour, the c? considerably didymata. 

 darker than the ?; in some districts the sexual dimorphism is quite striking. This sex is also appreciably 

 smaller and narrower-winged than the cf and has a much stouter abdomen. — ab. ochroleucata Auriv. Uni- ^^^^^ ^*'' 

 colorous grey-yellow or yellow-brown without markings except the light subterminal line. — ab. nigrofasciata nigrofas- 

 Rhl. Ground-colour darkened, median band narrow, almost black. — ab. nigra Prout (= atra Rbl). Both data. 

 wings uniform blackish brown. I only know 2 or 3 cfcT, from Scotland, and do not suppose the form occurs '"5''<*- 

 in the ?. — hethlandica Rbl. cf more or less bright orange brown, ? lighter ochreous-brown or fawn-colour. ^^^^ 

 Shetland Islands — The egg hibernates. The larva when first hatched shows affinity with that oi multistrigaria. 

 The adult larva is slender, tapering anteriorly; head rounded, dull green; body green, dorsal line darker, 

 subdorsal \yhitish, a broad white lateral stripe, sometimes suffused with reddish ; anal extremity with two 

 backward-projecting points. Polyphagous on low plants, often preferring the flowers; March — June. Pupa 



