258 



CIDARIA. By L. B. Prout. 



degenerala. 

 cingiiJuta. 

 obscurata. 



islandica. 



dubiosata. 



a very constant species but interesting aberrations and local races are known. — ab. degenerata Haw. (=: kiirzi 

 Hirsehke) has the median band very much narrowed, commonly broken. — ab. cingulata 7'gt;tr. has the abdomen 

 black, the hindwing also somewlmt darkened. — obscurata South has the ground-colour less pure white, the 

 dark markings of the forewing all dull brown, the dividing-line of the outer pale band always as dark as the 

 rest of the markings. The median band of the forewing is much spotted with black. Hebrides. — islandica 

 form. nov. somewhat resembles obscurata but is of a more smoky brown, at the same time much more glossy, 

 the median band not spotted with black, the postmedian pale band of the forewing in general less sharply 

 defuied, the radial and median veins sometimes strongly darkened where they cross this band; distal area in 

 general somewhat blurred. Iceland, apparently the prevailing form, at least in some localities. — dubiosata 

 Alph. somewhat resembles obscurata but is larger, brighter brown, this colour also extended to the hindwing; 

 median band not spotted with black, the white band beyond rather broader and clearer than in obscurata. 

 Thian-shan, Issyk-Kul, Ferghana. — Larva in its earlier stages greyish green, somewhat rugose laterally; full-fed 

 it is brown, mottled and variegated; thorax and posterior segments with a dark dorsal line; the first 5 abdominal 

 segments with arrowhead-shaped dark markings, bordered interiorly with whitish. On Galium. The pupa 

 hibernates. The moth flies in May-June and a second generation from the end of July. Abundant in most 

 parts of Europe, except the extreme south, also recorded from Transcaucasia, Mongolia, E. Siberia, etc. and 

 common in North America. 



placida. 



propmqua. 

 evanescens. 



C. placida Btlr. (8e) on account of its longer palpus and mimetic resemblance to Abraxas should perhaps 

 constiLute a separate subgenus, but it shows the characters of Epirrhoe as here given. Very variable. As a 

 matter of fact Butler's type specimen was a unique aberration, with the terminal row of black spots on both 

 wings entirely supressed and the subterminal (especially on the hindwing) weakened; median band less broad 

 than in our figure. — ab. propinqua Btlr., to which, strictly speaking, our figure belongs, has both the outer 

 series of spots strongly developed, the median band broad. — ab. evanescens Btlr. has the outer spots on an 

 average somewhat smaller, a few of them often obsolete, but differs chiefly in the median area; the discal spot 

 is free, or almost free, preceded by one or two short marks on the costa and followed by an extended clear 

 area; then follows a strongly curved postmedian line, accompanied distally by some large black spots and 

 becoming lost in other large black spots in the posterior half of the wing. — Distributed In Japan. 



Subgenus Perizoma Hbn. (=: Emmelesia Steph.) Small moths. Face smooth-scaled, little prominent. 

 Palpus moderately stout, generally rather short. Forewing with areole double, the distal one ample, 1*' radial 

 stalked. Hindwing with discocellulars biangulate (but see fumataria). Larvae chiefly feeding in seeds. 



iaeniaici. 



latefasciata. 



nngiisli- 



fasciata. 



saxea. 



vineulata. 



C. taeniata Steph. (= a.vc\.Biia. Zell., albimacularia i'^rr.) (81). Differs from typical Perizoma in its much 

 longer palpus and somewhat differently formed cT genitalia with the "gnathos" wanting. Very variable in size 

 and colouring etc. ; the large white or whitish spot in the middle of the distal margin distinguishes taeniata 

 and it, nearest allies from the more typical Perizoma species. Under surface rather weakly marked. — ab. 

 latefasciata Strand. Median band broader than usual, fully one-third as broad as the length of the wing. — 

 ab. angustifasciata Strand. Median band narrowed, only about one-sixth as broad as the length of the wing. 

 — saxea Wileman, the Japanese race, is also very variable, bat is in general darker, especially the hindwing, 

 which is dark fuscous, almost or altogether unmarked; the median band of the forewing is broader (about as 

 in ab. latefasciata) and shows a distinct projecting tooth distally near the costa. — Larva short, reddish or 

 yellowish-brown with wedge-shaped black and lozenge-shaped brown dorsal spots on the earlier segments, 

 posteriorly paler; a pale lateral stripe. On the capsules and spores of a moss, but will also accept the leaves 

 of some low plants — dandelion, etc.; hibernates and is full fed in May. The moth flies from the end of 

 June to August. Local in Northern and Eastern Europe and the Alps. Probably the Amur and Ussuri forms 

 belong to subsp. saxea. 



C. vineulata St^r. (8 1) differs from taeniata in its paler ground-colour, somewhat differently shaped band 

 and whitish grey, unmarked hindwing. Koko-Nor and the Amdo district. 



promptata. C. promptata Pilng. Forewing slightly narrower, white, the basal patch, narrow median band and distal 



area brown-grey, subbasal band paler brown-grey; the white subterminal line, as in the two preceding, forms 

 a W- shaped projection proximad on the S^"* radial and P' median, but is more sharply defined. Hindwing white 

 with small discal dot, dark spot near anal angle and dark terminal line. Discocellulars only weakly angled. 

 Koko-Nor. 



minimata. C. minimata Stgr. is related to taeniata but differs in its diminutive size (about 12 — 15 mm), narrow, 



almost straight light brown band between the basal and median bands and especially in the sharply black and 

 white chequered fringe; the median band is of moderate breadth, shaped somewhat as in vineulata. Hindwing 

 dirty dark grey, beneath with a dark discal dot followed by a broad dark, white-bounded line. Discovered 

 at Vladivostok in July. 



