146 CONISTRA. By W. Warren. 



nuous, and double, more prominent than in croceago ; the submarginal line, on the contrary, instead of being 

 grey and conspicuous, is yellowish, waved, with slightly deeper edge; hindwing more strongly pink-tinged, 

 especially towards termen. E. Siberia: Japan. The different position of the median shade is a sure criterion. 



59. Genus: Conistra Hbn. 



Differs from Xantholeuca in the prothorax having no distinct erect crest; in the frons having a diffuse, 

 rounded tuft; in the non-rostriform palpi, the third segment being merely depressed and smoothly scaled. 

 Larva feeding up in spring and early summer on trees and shrubs; the imago emerging in autumn and hyber- 

 nating. Type Conistra veronicae Hbn. 



Sect. I. Antennae of $ with lateral scale-tufts on each segment accompanied by very long curved bristles. 



evelina. C. evelina Btlr. (35 f). Forewing greyish rufous; the veins finely paler; inner and outer lines fine, pale, 



wavy, conversely edged with rufous; submarginal line formed by black or deep rufous spots between the veins; 

 upper stigmata, sometimes unicolorous, generally darker at centre, with distinct fine pale annuli; the angled 

 median shade dark and distinct; hindwing fuscous, darker before termen; fringe pale rufous. Japan only. 



Sect. II. Antennae of <J with sessile fascicles of cilia. 



caslaneo- E. castaneofasciata Motschl. (= fornax Btlr.) (35 g). Very much like rubiginea F., perhaps only the 



fasciata. larger Japanese form thereof. The ground colour warmer, more fulvous rufous; the spots forming the lines 

 more fuscous than black; the terminal area not so dark; hindwing paler, rufous along costa and termen, before 

 which there is a distinct grey submarginal band; in the European rubiginea the hindwing is uniformly dark 

 fuscous. Japan. Staudinger, ignoring Motschulsky, as usual, sinks fornax Btlr. as a synonym of rubiginea F., 

 but it is, at least, as good an aberration as the three he admits. 



eriophora. C. eriophora Pueng. (35 g). Forewing ashy grey; the median area more rufous; a fine black streak from 



base along submedian fold reaching the small black claviform stigma; lines pale, with darker edges; the inner 

 oblique to submedian fold, there angled; the outer sinuous, excurved above middle; subterminal line pale, 

 defined internally by small black dentate markings; orbicular and reniform small, outlined in black, the former 

 oblique and pointed; hindwing brownish, the fringe pale. Aksu, Mongolia. 



erythro- ^ erythrocephala F. (35 g). Forewing dull redbrown, suffused to a greater or less degree with grey; 



lines obscure, indistinctly double ; the submarginal with a darker blotch before it on costa; upper stigmata generally 

 filled up with grey, with paler brown-edged annuli, often obscure and unicolorous : the reniform generally with black 

 glabra, spots round its lower end;' hindwing greyish fuscous; the fringe pale ochreous; in ab. glabra Hbn. (35 g) the 

 ground colour is darker, more purplish-brown, with the costal streak, the two stigmata, and a submarginal 

 impunclala. fascia pale grey; the lines are also generally paler and more evident; — ab. impunctata Spul. (35 g) has the reni- 

 form stigma unmarked by black points, the other markings being often in these cases more obscure, and the ground 



pallida, colour striated with dark; in pallida Tutt (35 g) the dark ground colour is overlaid and hidden by pale grey suf- 

 fusion. Larva grey brown or yellowish-brown; dorsal and subdorsal lines fine and pale, the latter sometimes 

 obsolete; the dorsum dotted with white; spiracles black; feeding first on oak, and then on various low growing 

 plants. Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Italy, Russia, (Livonia), Denmark, 

 Sicily, and in Asia Minor, (Amasia). 



van- c. vau-punctatum Esp. (= silene F.) (35 h). Forewing rufous or dull purplish, overlaid with grey; 



the veins finely pale; lines indistinct, paler, with slightly darker edges; submarginal with a rufous cloud before 

 it on costa; some dark marginal lunules; stigmata pale grey, the orbicular with a black crescent in lower half, 

 the reniform with black spots, separated by the pale veins, on lower and outer edges; a small dark spot at base 

 of cell; the costa and base of wing with lilac grey striations; hindwing pale fuscous, with large dull cellspot; 

 immaculata. fringe pale, sometimes rufous-tinged ; — immaculata Stgr. is a rare form in which the stigmata are without the 

 galliea. black spots on their margins; — gallica Led. (35 h), from France and the Pyrenees, is a local form in which the 

 purplish ground colour is less obscured by the grey suffusion; the area beyond outer line being dark with 

 the submarginal line well-marked across it; and the bent median shade is also purplish; at the same time the 

 grey suffusion, especially at base and along costa, is more strongly expressed. Larva brown, the dorsal and 

 subdorsal lines pale yellowish; oblique mottled lines meeting to form V-shaped marks on dorsum; spiracles black; 

 head red brown; venter grey; living at first on Prunus, afterwards polyphagous on low plants. Generally distri- 

 buted in Europe, except Britain. 



aculula. C. acutula Stgr. (35 h). Forewing brownish grey, with dark striations; the costal half of wing rufous 



-tinged to near apex; veins streaked with pale; inner and outer lines blackish, double; the bent median shade 

 blackish; upper stigmata dark with fine pale annuli; a diffuse grey submarginal band preceding the very indi- 

 stinct submarginal line; hindwing brownish ochreous, with dark outer line and interrupted submarginal band; 

 scortea. fringe tipped with pink; — in the form scortea Stgr. the forewing is dark grey, without the brown red tinge. 

 At present recorded only from Palestine. 



