LASIOCAMPA. 33 



The synonymy and original description of these species are as follows : 



L. grand is, Rogenhofer, "Ver. z.-b. Ges. Wien.," xli.,p. 86 (Dec, 1891) ; Staud.. 

 "Iris," iv., p. 348 (1892); Auriv., '•Iris," vii., p. 151 (1894). Salomonis, Staud., 

 " Iris," iv., p. 259 (Feb., 1892). — Gastropacha trifolii var. grandis. <? . Forewings 

 reddish-yellow to red-brown with small whitish central spot and a narrow sinuate pale 

 yellow band bordered with dark on inner side ; hindwings little paler ; underside rather 

 paler, especially the hindwings, with a common sinuated narrow band. ? , more 

 tending to yellowish, resembling many dark ? s of G. que reus with a larger central 

 spot. $ 61 — 65 mm., ? 80 mm. (Rogenhofer). Aurivillius refers sapiens, Staud., 

 *• Iris," iv., p. 260 (1892) to this species as a variety [Iris, vii., p. 151). 



L. serrula, Gn., "Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr.," (3), vi., p. 454, pi. x., fig. 2 (1858) ; 

 Oberth., " Etudes d'Ent.," vi., pi. hi., figs. 6a— b, p. 75 (1881) ; Kirby, " Cat.," p. 

 829 (1892). — ? only, the species more distinct than iberica. Shape of trifolii ; 

 superior wings wider than those of ? P. trifolii, the outer margin cut less 

 obliquely and the fringes longer ; the forewings pointed, of a pale " gris-noisette," 

 sprinkled with reddish scales ; the elbowed line very distinct, forming a series 

 of deep regular teeth at each nervule, it is only a little darker than the ground 

 colour, slightly paler outside, beyond which it is margined with reddish scales ; 

 the cellular point very large, very round, white without dark margin. The 

 inferior wings are almost concolorous with the superior, the base and a slight 

 trace of a transverse band a little paler. The underside is somewhat near codes, 

 but the ferruginous band of the inferior wings is toothed like the elbowed line 

 of the superiors, although a little less markedly. The body is unicolorous ; the 

 antennae like those of trifolii. Reported from Andalusia by Lorquin. Pierret 

 stated that the specimen described from his collection was at the time unique (Guenee). 



Some exceedingly interesting experiments have been carried out 

 on the various races of Lasiocampa qtiercus, the species being one of 

 those that lends itself very readily to experiment, inasmuch as it appears 

 in very distinct local forms in various parts of its geographical range. 

 Merrifield has shown (Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1892, pp. 38 — 39) that 

 the colour of the imagines of this species is affected by differences of 

 temperature applied during the pupal stage. The experiments were 

 as follows : 



I. — Some recently changed pupae and fullfed larvae of the type form, obtained from 

 the same hedge at Windsor : 



1. Pupae placed at 8o°F. after they had turned about a week, but some at a 



somewhat later stage. The resultant imagines emerged in from 29 — 40 

 days, and were very light-coloured. 



2. Eighteen pupae (same batch) placed at a low temperature, 47°F. ; fifteen 



emerged in from 39* to 71 days, and these show on the whole a tendency 

 (more particularly in the light band) to become darker as the length of the 

 pupation period, due to exposure to the low temperature, increases. 

 II. — Pupae of L. var. callunae obtained from Aberdeen and Perth : 



1. A few Aberdeen pupae, placed at 8o°F. ; two imagines emerged from 27 



to 46 days ; the imagines a great deal lighter than usual, especially the ? , 

 which can scarcely, if at all, be distinguished from the southern form. 



2. A lot of pupae from Perth, similarly forced, produced three S s and two ? s. 



These are darker, but light for L. var. callunae. 



3. Another batch of pupae from Perth, divided into — 



a. The first set, forced at 8o°F., five <? s and five ? s, appearing in from 



29 to 42 days, the resultant imagines rather light. 



b. The second set, placed in the open air, emerged in June and early 



July ; the imagines, six j 1 s and nine ? s, varied but little, but the 

 males especially were darker than those of section a, the pupae of 

 which had been forced. 



Merrifield concludes that in L. quercils, at least, the higher tempera- 

 ture tends to produce lighter specimens than those kept at a lower 

 temperature ; this particularly applies to the males, the females varying 

 less, but, in both sexes, the forced ones have a reddish tint which is 



* Had possibly been pupae some time before the experiment \v;.s commenced. 



