212 CATALOGUE OF 



Genus 53. MELIABA. 



Mas. Corpus sat robustum. Palpi compressi, validi, longi, 

 pilosi, erecti ; articulus 2us vix arcuatus, apicem versus fascicula- 

 tus; 3us linearis, fasciculatus, 2i dimidio vix longior. Antennas 

 longa?. Pectus pilis longis vestitum. Abdomen longissimum, lau- 

 ceolatum, alas posticas longe superans ; fasciculus apicalis longius- 

 culus, compressus. Pedes longi, tibiis posterioribus fernoribusque 

 fimbriatis, calcaribus longissimis. Alae anticae acute rectaugulatae, 

 margine exteriore subflexo. 



Male. Body moderately stout. Proboscis short. Palpi com- 

 pressed, stout, long, pilose, erect ; second joint hardly curved, 

 slightly fringed on both sides, tufted on the hind side towards the 

 tip ; third joint linear, tufted on the hind side, little more than half 

 the length of the second. Antennae long; each joint with two 

 minute seta?. Pectus with long hairs. Abdomen lanceolate, very 

 long, extending for nearly half its length beyond the hind wings ; 

 apical tuft compressed, rather long. Legs long ; femora and poste- 

 rior tibiae fringed with long hairs ; spars very long. Wings mode- 

 rately broad. Fore wings very straight along the costa, acutely 

 rectangular at the tips ; exterior border slightly bent. 



This genus is one of the aberrant forms which does not asso- 

 ciate with any of the recorded families of Noctuites. The silver 

 mark on the fore wings resembles that of the Plusiidce. 



1. Meltaba Pelopsalis. 



Mas. Albido-testacea ; alee antica subiridescenies,fuscosubcon- 

 spersce, litura subcostali, macula costali et reniformi obliqua 

 perangusla fuscis, litura discali furcata argentea micante ; 

 posticaz pallide cinerece. 



Male. Whitish testaceous. Fore wings slightly iridescent, 

 thinly and minutely speckled with brown ; a brown subcostal mark 

 at a little before the middle, and a brown costal spot in front of the 

 reniform mark, which is brown, oblique, and very narrow ; behind 

 it obliquely there is a forked bright silver mark ; a black dot in the 

 disk towards the exterior border, and some short black lines along 

 the exterior part of the costa. Hind wings pale cinereous. Wings 

 beneath with a brown nearly straight exterior line. Length of the 

 body 9 lines ; of the wings 16 lines. 



a. Port Natal. From M. Gueinzius' collection. 



