488 



BRITISH LEPIDOPTERA. 



This form is generally distributed in Belgium, Britain, France, 

 Germany, etc., and is more frequently of the normal red colour than 

 of the tint figured by Hiibner. 



6. ab. minoides, Selys, " Cat. Lep. Belg.," p. 23 (1837) ; " Mem. Soc. Sci. Liege," 

 ii., p. 33 (1845); "Ann. Soc. Ent. Belg.," 1872, p. lvii ; Ibid., 1882, p. cxiii. 

 Trifulii, Esp., " Die Scbmett.," xxxiv., fig. 4 (1783). Gonjluens, Staud., "Cat.," 

 p. 47 (1871) ; Sand, " Cat. Lep. Auv.," p. 22 (1879) ; Higgs, "Ent. Kec," i., p. 12 

 (1890). Orobi, Berce, "Faun. Ent. Fr.," ii., p. 74 (1868).— Maculis confluentibus. 

 In this aberration the five red spots of the fore-wings are united so as to form one 

 longitudinal band, as in Z. minos, but of different form. The hind-wings are, on 

 the other hand, margined with black, as in the ordinary specimens. 



This form was re-named confluens by Staudinger, and diagnosed 

 {Cat., p. 47) as, "Mac. omnibus confluentibus." The oldest figure 

 of the form is Esper's pi. xxxiv., fig. 4, a blue-green $ , with 1 + 2 + 

 3 + 4 + 5 united, which ought, perhaps, to be considered as the real 

 type of the species. Boisduval notes this aberration as occurring with 

 the type in central and southern Europe. It is found almost everywhere 

 with the type, in Belgium, England and Wales, France, Germany, etc., 

 and occurs in Switzerland, nr. Zurich. It appears to be decidedly rarer 

 in the small, early form, than in the later and larger one, and also to be 

 much rarer in the southern forms of the species from Italy, Spain, etc. 

 Homeyer notes that, in 1880, he obtained some hundreds of cocoons in 

 the Wiese district, from which many imagines emerged, several being 

 confiuens ; in 1881 there were none. The confluent form is very rare in 

 Guernsey, only four or five examples out of a very great number 

 examined having been observed (Lowe) ; it occurs pretty frequently, 

 however, on the cliffs nr. Dieppe with the type (Dupont). 



t. ab. lutescens-confluens, n. ab. — The spots on-the fore-wings united into a single 

 band ; the band and the hind-wings yellow in colour. 



k. ab. lutescens-basalis, n. ab. — Anterior wings with spots 1 + 2 joined to 3 + 4, 5 

 separate ; the spots and the hind-wings yellow in colour. 



X. ab. lutescens-glycirrhizae, n. ab. — Anterior wings withl + 2, and 3 + 4 + 5, 

 forming two blotches ; the blotches and the hind-wings yellow in colour. 



/j.. ab. trivittata, Speyer, " Stett. Ent. Zeit.," xxxviiL.pp. 40 et seq. — The anterior 

 wings, with the spots forming three streaks, as in A. purjmralis, viz., 1, 2 + 4, 

 3 + 5. (1) The upper basal spot extended along the costa to the middle of the 

 costal margin. (2) 3 + 5 forming a discoidal streak, separated from 1 by the black 

 subcostal nervure ; this is rounded on its outer margin, is of almost uniform thick- 

 ness in its outer half, but finely pointed between the stems of the subcostal and 

 median nervures. (3) 2 + 4 united to form the broadest of all the streaks, and is 

 wider at the middle of the wing than at the base. The posterior wings with a 

 rather broad black border, which is continued along the inner margin to the base. 

 The fore-wings are of a deep blue-black colour, the streaks of a brilliant crimson 

 hue, the hind- wings of a lighter red. 



All the aberrations in which the spots are united so as to form three 

 distinct cuneate spots, more or less similar to that described, are 

 included under this name by Speyer. Fletcher says that ab. trivittata un- 

 doubtedly occurs in Britain. He has, from Christy's Emsworth colony, 

 the following transitional forms : (1) Seven specimens with basal spots 

 normal, but with 3 + 5 united. (2) One specimen of the trivittata 

 form on the right fore-wing, on the left fore-wing 2+4 are dilated 

 towards each other, but do not form a streak ; in these the united 3 + 

 5 are separated very narrowly from 4 by the median nervure. Some 

 of the ab. glycirrhizae are evidently built up from the intermediate 

 trivittata (1) by the union of 3 + 5, and (2) by the junction of 4 with 

 3 + 5. 



v. var. syracusia, Zell., " Isis," 1847, pp. 301-3 ; Freyer, " Neu. Beit.," vi., p. 39, 

 pi. 506, figs. 3-4(1847) ; Staud., " Cat.," p. 47(1871) ; Curd, "Bull. Soc.Ent.Ital.," 



