NEPTICULA DISTINGUENDA. 281 



merklich schwacher glanzend. Hinfcer ihr isfc die Flache dunkler, 

 mifc sehr schwachem violetfcblauen Anfluge, der auch die Wurzel 

 der Fransen bedeckfc, wahrend die Spitze derselben ziemlich 

 dunkelgrau ist. Die Hinterfliigel mit den Fransen grau, schwach 

 in's Braunliche ziehend. Bei dem viel kleineren Weibe, welches ich 

 hieher ziehe, sind die Fiihler kurz, die Vorderfliigel ein wenig mehr 

 erzfarben, die Binde isfc etwas breiter und desshalb der Wurzel naher 



scheinend Ich habe beide Geschlechter einmal aus. Birken- 



blattern zu gleicher Zeit gezogen, bevor ich betulicola und luteella 

 kannfce, und Raupe und Mine derzeit nichfc genauer beobachfcefc. Im 

 vergangenen Herbste fand ich in einern Birkenblatfce eine einzelne 

 Raupe, die von den Raupen deriibrigen Birken-Nepticulen verschieden 

 scheinfc, bis jetzt aber keinen Falter gegeben hat. Diese kann zu 

 distinguenda gehoren. Sie ist wachsgelb, die Mine gewunden, ganz 

 von dunklem Kothe ausgefiillt (Heinemann, Wien. Ent. Monatschrift, 

 vi. (1862), pp. 305-306). 



Imago. — Head ochreous. Anterior wings 4-5 mm., narrow ; olive- 

 fuscous, the apical portion of the wing darker, slightly purplish ; 

 fascia just beyond middle of wing, vertical, rather narrow, whitish- 

 yellow, slightly glossy ; cilia very dark grey with paler apices. Poste- 

 rior wings and their cilia brownish-grey. 



COMPARISON OF N. DISTINGUENDA WITH N. BETULICOLA, N. GLUTI- 



nos^e, etc. — A r . distinguenda is closely allied to N. betidicola and also 

 to A 7 , glutinosae ; it is larger than the former. The frontal tuft, eye- 

 caps, cervical tuft, and the legs are as in N. betulicola, but the 

 blackish antennae are longer in the male, since they reach perceptibly 

 beyond the middle of the anterior wings to the fascia, but yet they 

 are shorter than in N. glutinosae, in which species they have full two- 

 thirds of the length of the anterior wings, and reach to beyond the 

 fascia. The abdomen is blackish. The anterior wings are elongate, 

 narrower, and not so rounded as in A 7 , betidicola, more of the form of 

 those of A 7 , glutinosae, which they also resemble in their slight glossi- 

 ness. The surface is not so smooth ; indeed, the individual scales 

 may be distinctly perceived with a lens ; their bases are olive-bronze, 

 their tips dark brown, with quite a faint bluish tinge, and to the 

 naked eye the surface appears of an unicolorous olive-brown. The 

 fascia does not appear to be quite so posteriorly placed as in A 7 ", betuli- 

 cola, and is vertical. It is at the same time rather narrow, of uniform 

 width, inclining to yellowish, but perceptibly less glossy. Beyond it 

 the surface is darker, with a very faint violet-blue tint, which also 

 prevails at the base of the cilia, whereas their tips are rather dark 

 grey. The posterior wings and their cilia grey, slightly inclining to 

 brownish. A 7 , distinguenda is further distinguished from N. glutinosae 

 and A 7 , microtheriella by the ground- colour not being so blue, especi- 

 ally at the tip of the wing, and by the paler, more brownish, colour of 

 the posterior wings and their cilia. From the former it also differs 

 by the broader and more glossy fascia, from the latter by the longer 

 antennae of the male and by the rather duller fascia being throughout 

 of uniform width. N. luteella has the antennae and anterior wings 

 shorter, the tip of the latter of a bright violet-blue ; the fascia is 

 nearer the base, close beyond the middle, more inclining to luteous, 

 and ill-defined, especially towards the costa, and not metallic. A". 

 turicella has the ground-colour of the anterior wings more of an olive- 



