1. Family: Agaristidae. 



Very closely allied to the Noctuids, from which they are not sharply separated. The Agaristidae 

 are nothing but day- flying Noctuidae which have preserved some generalized characters, being in other 

 respects more spezialized than the Noctuids. The frons is convex and mostly bears (as in many Noctuids) 

 a usually circular non-scaled spot the edge of which is raised. This frontal ring is often situated at the tip 

 of a truncate cone or horn-like process. The anterior edge of the clypeus is sharp. The tongue is well 

 developed. The ocelli are present. The antennae are more or less distinctly incrassate distally in most 

 forms, but remain sometimes fili- or even setiform. The sensory bristles stand in a somewhat irregular 

 transverse row ; the fine hairs which cover the non-scaled ventral surface are usually very short , being as 

 a rule dispersed on the clubbed antennae. There are never prolonged ciliae arranged in roof-stape as in 

 the Noctuid cfcf , the lateral grooves being also always absent. The segments are nearly always cylindrical, 

 or slightly flattened below, being rarely slightly prismatical. The neuration is quite Noctuid -like, but the 

 2. radial of the hindwing (vein 5 of Herrich-Schaefeer) is distinctly developed and originates in the centre 

 of the cell, rarely a little behind the centre, while in the forewing this vein branches off not far from the 

 hinder angle of the cell, as in the Noctuidae. Hindtibia always with 2 pairs of spurs. Claw with tooth. 

 cf with scent-organ laterally in the 2. abdominal segment; anal segment with long hook. 



Between the first abdominal segment and the thorax there is in cf and ? a sensory organ as in 

 the Noctuids and Arctiids. In between the lateral sclerite and the tergite there is situated an often circular 

 opening leading into a cavity which is divided by a vitreous vertical membrane into a right and left 

 chamber (sound-receiver?). In most species this opening is very large and distinctly visible without removal 

 of the hairs. The cf cf of some species possess like many Noctuids on organ of stridulation with which they 

 produce during flight a loud, whistling, or hissing sound by the ribbed tarsus being pressed against a naked 

 ribbed space of the wing. 



The early stages, which are known of a few species only, are like those of the Noctuidae. The larva, 

 the penultimate segment of which is somewhat enlarged, bears single long hairs placed on small tubercles, 

 these hairs being sometimes widened at the tips. The pupa lies naked in the ground. It is posteriorly 

 obtuse and bears at the apex a transverse ridge "which is usually twice interrupted. 



The Agaristidae fly in day-time, only a few species come to the light at night. They swarm about 

 flowering trees and visit flowers like the European day-flying Noctuids. 



The family is best developed in the Tropics of the Old World, containing here many bright-coloured 

 forms of medium size. Almost all the Agaristidae have metallic spots on the wings. The few species 

 occurring in the Palaearctic Fauna are restricted to the Pacific districts of the Region. The3^ are Himalayan 

 forms which extend partly as far as Yezzo, only Syfania appears to be a purely West Chinese genus. 



The Agaristidae are comparable to the Arctiids as regards colour; some agree indeed very strikingly 

 with Arctiids in colour, pattern and size. Also many Geometridae resemble them most closely. Among 

 the American Erycinidae there are likewise species which are of the same type of coloration as the 

 American black and yellow Agaristids. 



1. Genus: Epistenie Hbn. 



Frontal ring somewhat transverse, situated on a short cone. Antenna of cf and ? distinctly clubbed ; 

 fine hairs very short. Eye naked. Tibiae without spines. Forewing without areole, 2. — 5. subcostals 

 stalked together. — Larva (of E. bixma Moore, Java) black, with yellow belts; the single hairs grey; on 

 Dioscorea. — Indo-Malayan, northwards extending to Kashmir and China, eastwards to Sumba. Flying in 

 sunshine about flowering trees. 



E. lectrix L. (la). Breast black below, only the inside of the forecoxa 3'ellow; abdomen below lectrix. 

 ringed with black, or at least the last segments with 3 black spots; tip of abdomen black. Spots of fore- 

 wing yellow, with the exception of the submarginal row; size of spots very variable; sometimes the hind- 

 wing almost entire!}- black. Clasper of cf obtuse, upper margin externally projecting elbow-like. — China, 

 very common; the East Chinese specimens more extended black on hindwing than the West Chinese ones. 



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