COMPSOPTERA; CHEMERINA. By L. B. Prout. 413 



168. Genus: Coiupsoptera Blanch. 



Face rough-haired, crown with a strong pointed crest. Palpus rather short. Antenna in ^ bipectinate 

 to apex. Thorax densely hairy, more or less crested in front. Femora hairy. Wings rather narrow. Forewing 

 pointed, without fovea, 1st subcostal anastomosmg with costal, 2nd arising from cell, anastomosing with 1st 

 and then with 3rd — 4th. Hindwmg with costal closely approximated to subcostal to beyond middle of cell. — 

 Larva moderately slender, tapering a little at the extremities, without protuberances, the segmentation distinct. 

 — Only known as Palearctic, but with related genera in Africa and Australia. 



C. opacaria Hhn. (24 i) is the only species with deeply coloured forewing and is further characterized opacaria. 

 by the oblique whitish line, running towards the apex. The name-type is the paler form, forewing reddish 

 grey, though very variable in tone. • — • ab. rubra Stgr., occurring in the (J only, is deep brick-red. ■ — Larva grey, rubra. 

 with dark dorsal lines, which alternately approach and separate, enclosing dorsal lozenges of the ground-colour ; 

 these lines are marked with a black spot on each abdominal segment. On Genista and Dorycnium. A very 

 local species, inhabitmg S. Prance, Italy, Corsica, Spain and Portugal. 



C. argentaria H.-Sch. (= yaminaria Ob.) (24 i). Near opacaria in shape and structure but very distinct argentaria. 

 in colour and in the peculiar longitudinal markings, especially the dark, white-edged line from 2nd median to 

 near distal margin, where it is suddenly bent and runs forward to the apex. Dr. Seitz inform.s m.e it has been 

 bred from Sarothamnus larvae. Sicily and Algeria, considered a great rarity. 



C. jourdanaria Villiers (25 1). Narrower, m.ore slenderly built. Recognizable at a glance by the white jourdoruma. 

 veins and irroration, and the extraordinarily oblique postmedian line, which runs, in a series of irregular 

 lunules, from the apex to the hindmargin near the base. . — ab. obscura B. Baker is much darker, forewing fuscous obsmm. 

 brown with the lines black, hind wing also infuscated. — Larva similar to that of opacaria but sm.aller and without 

 the black spots. On thyme. S. France, Spain and Algeria. — anargyra Trti. is rather broader-winged, lighter armrgyra. 

 grey brownish, more strongly mottled with white. Sardinia. 



C. simplex Btlr. (= violentaria Chr.) is a robust species with nearly the scheme of marking of simplex, 

 opacaria, but quite different in colour, forewmg light ochreous brown, with dark oblique line from apex. — ab. 

 punctaria Leech (25 1) differs in having the Ime broken into vein-dots. — S. E. Siberia and Japan. punclaria. 



} 

 169. Genus: Cliemerina Bad. 



Another rather primitive genus, accordmg to Meyeick perhaps derived from Compsopteia. Build more 

 slender, face smoother, vertex similarly tufted. Antenna of ^ with apex simple. Femora not hairy. Forewing 

 with 1st subcostal remote from costal, 2nd arising from stalk of 3rd — 5th. Only one species has been referred 

 here; a second may, however, be provisionally united with it, although the crest on the head is less developed 

 and the 1st subcostal is cojonected by a bar with the costal. 



Ch. caliginearia Ebr. (= ramburaria Bsd.) (6 i). An obscure species, with somewhat the scaling and co- caligmearia. 

 loration of Pachycnemia hippocastanaria, to which the $ bears some superficial resemblance in her narrow 

 wings, etc. The ^ is larger and ampler- winged. Antemedian line strongly curved, with a pale yellow-brown 

 shade proximally, postmedian rather variable, with a similar shade distally; subterminal line generally broken 

 into dots. — ab. andalusica JRibbe is unicolorous reddish grey, lacking the distinct pale bands of the name- andalusica. 

 typical form. ■ — Larva slender, smooth, cylindrical, tapering a little anteriorly; dorsal area dark grey with 

 blackish lines, ventral area paler, somewhat bluish; lateral stripe yellowish, very distinct, with a small ferru- 

 ginous dot on middle of each segment. On Cistus, hatching in April and feeding up very rapidly. Most of the 

 year is speot in the pupa state. Moth in the early spring or even m January. Local in the Mediterranean coun- 

 tries. 



Ch. modesta Btlr. (= tristis Leech). Sexes very dissimilar in shape, $ formed somewhat as in cali- viodcsla. 

 ginearia, $ hindwing with long inner margin and irregularly shaped distal margin. Rather darker and less 

 glossy than caliginearia, the Imes parallel, strongly dentate, the median area sometimes a little darkened. 

 Japan. Perhaps nearer to the Australian Chlenias than to Chemerina. 



