﻿OXYPTILUS 
  PARVIDACTYLA. 
  419 
  

  

  j8. 
  var. 
  (aw 
  spec, 
  dist.) 
  marginellus, 
  ZelL, 
  " 
  Isis," 
  1847, 
  p. 
  903 
  (1847); 
  

   " 
  Linn. 
  Ent.,' 
  ; 
  vi., 
  p. 
  355 
  (1852); 
  H.-Sch., 
  " 
  Sys. 
  Bearb.," 
  v., 
  p. 
  372(1855); 
  Staud., 
  

   " 
  Hor. 
  Soc. 
  Ent. 
  Ross.," 
  xv., 
  p. 
  425 
  (1880); 
  Staud. 
  and 
  Reb., 
  " 
  Cat.," 
  3rd 
  ed., 
  p. 
  

   72 
  (1901). 
  Obscurus, 
  ZelL, 
  "Isis," 
  p. 
  38 
  (1847).— 
  Nearest 
  related 
  to 
  P. 
  obscurus, 
  

   being 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  size, 
  or 
  only 
  a 
  trifle 
  larger. 
  The 
  differences 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  as 
  

   follows 
  : 
  (1) 
  The 
  forewings 
  split 
  almost 
  to 
  the 
  middle. 
  (2) 
  The 
  upper 
  lobe 
  of 
  the 
  

   front 
  wings 
  narrower 
  ; 
  consequently, 
  the 
  first 
  white 
  transverse 
  line 
  is 
  somewhat 
  

   shorter. 
  (3) 
  The 
  costa, 
  between 
  the 
  two 
  white 
  transverse 
  lines, 
  is 
  edged 
  with 
  black. 
  

  

  (4) 
  Behind 
  the 
  second 
  transverse 
  line 
  the 
  fringes 
  of 
  the 
  costa 
  are 
  more 
  narrowly 
  

   white, 
  and 
  internally 
  edged 
  by 
  a 
  fine 
  black 
  line, 
  widening 
  somewhat 
  towards 
  the 
  

   apex 
  (this 
  character 
  is 
  also 
  noticeable 
  on 
  the 
  underside, 
  where 
  the 
  apex 
  is 
  paler 
  

   yellow-brown). 
  (5) 
  The 
  white 
  in 
  the 
  fringes 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  lobe 
  forms 
  a 
  larger, 
  

   more 
  complete, 
  white 
  spot 
  towards 
  the 
  front. 
  (6) 
  Before, 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  tip 
  of 
  the 
  3rd 
  

   plumule 
  of 
  the 
  hindwing, 
  are 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  equally 
  long 
  white 
  scales, 
  placed 
  amongst 
  

   the 
  black 
  ones 
  ; 
  in 
  the 
  ? 
  , 
  these 
  are 
  more 
  abundant, 
  marginally, 
  between 
  the 
  black 
  

   scale-tuft 
  and 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  plumule. 
  I 
  caught 
  three 
  ? 
  s 
  near 
  Syracuse 
  towards 
  

   evening, 
  on 
  the 
  grassy-slopes 
  of 
  the 
  ancient 
  Neapolis, 
  on 
  May 
  4th 
  and 
  23rd 
  ; 
  also 
  a 
  

  

  <? 
  in 
  good 
  condition 
  near 
  Catania, 
  on 
  July 
  4th, 
  in 
  a 
  cultivated 
  field 
  between 
  lanes 
  

   of 
  lava. 
  Loew's 
  specimen 
  from 
  Macri, 
  in 
  Asia 
  Minor, 
  which, 
  until 
  now, 
  I 
  had 
  

   considered, 
  like 
  the 
  Sicilian 
  examples, 
  as 
  obscurus, 
  I 
  now 
  refer 
  to 
  marginellus, 
  as 
  

   the 
  more 
  marked 
  distinguishing 
  characters 
  were 
  either 
  not 
  well-marked, 
  owing 
  to 
  

   the 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  specimen, 
  or 
  misunderstood, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  larger 
  upper 
  

   lobe. 
  This 
  species 
  seems 
  to 
  replace 
  P. 
  obscurus 
  in 
  the 
  Mediterranean 
  

   district 
  (Zeller). 
  

  

  We 
  have 
  already 
  noted 
  Zeller's 
  further 
  remarks 
  on 
  the 
  insect, 
  

   and 
  Staudinger's 
  important 
  and 
  extended 
  notes 
  thereon 
  have 
  already 
  

   been 
  quoted 
  in 
  full 
  (antea 
  pp. 
  416-417). 
  Herrich-Schaffer 
  observes 
  

   (Sys. 
  Bearb., 
  v., 
  pp. 
  372-3) 
  that 
  the 
  distinctions 
  which 
  Zeller 
  quotes 
  

   do 
  not 
  appear 
  to 
  warrant 
  the 
  setting 
  up 
  of 
  marginellus 
  as 
  a 
  distinct 
  

   species, 
  the 
  characters 
  appearing 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  in 
  all 
  the 
  large 
  and 
  quite 
  

   fresh 
  examples 
  of 
  obscurus, 
  particularly 
  (1) 
  the 
  forewings 
  being 
  split 
  

   almost 
  to 
  their 
  middle, 
  (2) 
  the 
  black 
  edging 
  to 
  the 
  costa 
  between 
  

   the 
  two 
  white 
  transverse 
  streaks, 
  (3) 
  the 
  black 
  edging 
  to 
  the 
  white 
  costal 
  

   fringe 
  of 
  the 
  apex 
  (Herrich-Schaffer 
  did 
  not 
  find 
  that 
  this 
  white 
  

   costal 
  edge 
  is 
  narrower, 
  nor 
  the 
  upper 
  lobe 
  smaller), 
  (4) 
  the 
  expansion 
  

   of 
  the 
  white 
  longitudinal 
  patch 
  of 
  fringe 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  lobe, 
  

  

  (5) 
  the 
  white 
  scales 
  before, 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  apex 
  of, 
  the 
  3rd 
  plumule 
  of 
  the 
  

   hindwings, 
  nor 
  does 
  the 
  latter 
  appear 
  to 
  have 
  a 
  blacker 
  scale-tuft 
  with 
  

   more 
  white 
  scales. 
  Herrich-Schaffer 
  selected 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  larger 
  of 
  the 
  

   Regensburg 
  obscurus, 
  and 
  Zeller 
  referred 
  these 
  to 
  marginellus. 
  Rebel 
  

   writes 
  (Cat. 
  3rd 
  ed., 
  p. 
  72) 
  : 
  "Possibly 
  a 
  var. 
  of 
  parvidaclyla 
  ; 
  major, 
  

   obscurior, 
  etc. 
  Sicily, 
  Spain, 
  Bithynia." 
  

  

  y. 
  var. 
  {an 
  syn. 
  supra) 
  hqffmannseggi, 
  Moesch., 
  "Berl. 
  Ent. 
  Zeits.." 
  x.. 
  p. 
  145 
  

   (1860). 
  — 
  18mm. 
  Alis 
  anticis 
  pallida 
  f 
  uscis, 
  laciniis 
  albidostrigatis, 
  eiliis 
  dorsalibus 
  in 
  

   medio 
  et 
  ante 
  apiceni 
  lacinise 
  postcrioris 
  linea 
  albida. 
  Alis 
  posticis 
  fuscis, 
  digito 
  fcertio 
  

   albido 
  pulvevulento, 
  ante 
  apicem 
  utrinque 
  atro-squamnfflD. 
  Subtus 
  digito 
  primo 
  ante 
  

   apicem 
  albido. 
  Antennas 
  black 
  and 
  white 
  ringed. 
  Palpi 
  brown, 
  at 
  the 
  apex 
  ami 
  

   on 
  the 
  sides 
  sparsely, 
  beneath 
  evenly, 
  scaled 
  with 
  white. 
  Head 
  brown, 
  at 
  the 
  

   base 
  of 
  the 
  antennas 
  a 
  single 
  white 
  spot. 
  Thorax 
  brown, 
  sparingly 
  sealed 
  with 
  

   white. 
  Abdomen 
  brown, 
  each 
  segment 
  with 
  two 
  white 
  dashes 
  approaching 
  each 
  

   other 
  anteriorly, 
  the 
  anal 
  tuft 
  brown, 
  mixed 
  with 
  white: 
  beneath 
  each 
  segment 
  

   bordered 
  with 
  white, 
  posteriorly 
  divided 
  in 
  the 
  centre 
  by 
  ;i 
  longitudinal 
  white 
  stripe, 
  

   sides 
  with 
  white 
  scaling. 
  Front 
  and 
  middle 
  legs 
  brown, 
  with 
  the 
  tibia 
  finely 
  dusted 
  

   with 
  white, 
  tarsi 
  spotted 
  with 
  white. 
  Bindings 
  with 
  almost 
  white 
  tibia\ 
  the 
  tarsi 
  

   brown, 
  with 
  tour 
  broad 
  white 
  rings. 
  Forewings 
  dark, 
  dirty 
  grey-brown, 
  sparingly 
  

   dusted 
  with 
  white. 
  The 
  upper 
  lobe 
  with 
  two 
  white 
  transverse 
  lines, 
  the 
  apex 
  dark- 
  

   brown 
  in 
  the 
  middle, 
  costa 
  and 
  inner 
  margin 
  white. 
  The 
  fringes 
  of 
  the 
  inner 
  

   margin 
  from 
  ba.se 
  of 
  fissure 
  to 
  beyond 
  first 
  transverse 
  line 
  white, 
  beyond 
  litis 
  

   brown 
  and 
  only 
  below 
  the 
  outer 
  transverse 
  line 
  narrowly 
  white. 
  Base 
  of 
  fissure 
  

   margined 
  with 
  white. 
  The 
  Eringes 
  of 
  the 
  COSta 
  oi 
  the 
  lower 
  lobe 
  white 
  at 
  the 
  base. 
  

  

  