﻿522 
  BRITISH 
  LEPIDOPTEKA. 
  

  

  usually, 
  however, 
  present. 
  Similarly 
  there 
  is 
  considerable 
  difference 
  

   in 
  the 
  conspicuousness 
  of 
  the 
  fissural 
  dots, 
  although 
  both 
  are 
  almost 
  

   always 
  present 
  and 
  usually 
  separate. 
  The 
  lineola 
  in 
  the 
  upper 
  lobe 
  

   is 
  apparently 
  always 
  present, 
  but 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  dark 
  shading 
  that 
  

   surrounds 
  it 
  varies 
  very 
  considerably. 
  The 
  following 
  are 
  Buttner's 
  

   original 
  description 
  and 
  Hering 
  and 
  Hofmann's 
  notes 
  on 
  the 
  life- 
  

   history 
  of 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  a. 
  var. 
  pneumonantlies 
  [Schleich], 
  Biittn., 
  " 
  Stett. 
  Ent. 
  Ztg.," 
  p. 
  472 
  (1880) 
  ; 
  

   Hofm., 
  "Deutsch. 
  Pter.," 
  p. 
  87 
  (1895); 
  Stand, 
  and 
  Reb., 
  "Cat.," 
  3rd 
  ed., 
  p. 
  77 
  

   (1901) 
  ; 
  Mathew, 
  " 
  Ent, 
  Rec," 
  xviii., 
  p. 
  245 
  (1906). 
  Plagiodactylus, 
  Snell., 
  " 
  De 
  

   "Vlmd.," 
  ii., 
  pt. 
  2, 
  p. 
  1037 
  (in 
  part) 
  (1882); 
  Hering, 
  "Stett, 
  Ent. 
  Ztg.," 
  p. 
  225 
  

   (1891) 
  ; 
  p. 
  117 
  (1893). 
  — 
  Mimaeseoptilus 
  plagiodactylus 
  an 
  nov. 
  sp. 
  pneumonantlies, 
  

   Schl. 
  (?). 
  — 
  As 
  large 
  as 
  the 
  smaller 
  (examples) 
  of 
  plagiodactylus, 
  and 
  otherwise 
  

   similar 
  to 
  them, 
  but 
  separated 
  by 
  the 
  black 
  spot, 
  not 
  reaching 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  fissure, 
  but 
  

   divided 
  from 
  it 
  sharply 
  by 
  a 
  pale, 
  even 
  if 
  narrow, 
  space, 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  sharp 
  whitish 
  

   transverse 
  line. 
  This 
  commences, 
  as 
  sometimes 
  in 
  plagiodactylus, 
  on 
  the 
  costa, 
  and 
  

   terminates 
  at 
  the 
  inner 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  lobe 
  ; 
  it 
  has, 
  however, 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  

   lobe, 
  a 
  continuation 
  consisting 
  of 
  two 
  very 
  distinct 
  whitish 
  spots 
  (only 
  in 
  one 
  ? 
  is 
  

   this 
  indistinct). 
  Schleich 
  took 
  several 
  examples 
  near 
  Misdroy, 
  in 
  July, 
  in 
  a 
  swampy 
  

   meadow 
  on 
  the 
  western 
  shore 
  of 
  the 
  Aietziger 
  See, 
  where 
  Gentiana 
  pneumonanthe 
  

   grew. 
  In 
  similar 
  situations 
  also, 
  with 
  Gentiana, 
  six 
  examples 
  (one 
  ? 
  included) 
  

   were 
  caught 
  in 
  the 
  last 
  third 
  of 
  June, 
  near 
  Spandau 
  (Biittner). 
  Larva 
  : 
  The 
  fullgrown 
  

   larva 
  is 
  9mm.-llmm. 
  long, 
  pale 
  yellow-brown, 
  with 
  a 
  more 
  yellowish 
  dorsal 
  vessel 
  dis- 
  

   tinctly 
  showing 
  through 
  the 
  skin. 
  Head 
  and 
  anal 
  segment 
  are 
  pale 
  leather-colour, 
  the 
  

   mouth-parts 
  darker 
  brown, 
  the 
  thoracic 
  legs 
  still 
  paler 
  than 
  the 
  head, 
  and, 
  like 
  the 
  

   anal 
  claspers, 
  pale 
  leather-coloured 
  ; 
  the 
  ventral 
  prolegs 
  of 
  the 
  ground 
  colour 
  of 
  

   the 
  body, 
  the 
  crochets 
  of 
  the 
  same, 
  scarcely 
  noticeably 
  darker 
  than 
  the 
  thoracic 
  

   legs. 
  Dorsal 
  line 
  sharply 
  contrasted, 
  intense 
  green, 
  accompanied, 
  on 
  each 
  side, 
  by 
  

   a 
  pale 
  yellow 
  longitudinal 
  line, 
  straight 
  and 
  broad 
  ; 
  immediately 
  below 
  this 
  runs 
  a 
  

   finer 
  waved 
  line, 
  and 
  just 
  above 
  the 
  legs 
  another, 
  with 
  somewhat 
  lesser 
  undulations, 
  

   likewise 
  pale 
  yellow, 
  and 
  running 
  parallel 
  with 
  the 
  upper. 
  The 
  whole 
  larva 
  is 
  

   beset 
  regularly 
  with 
  short, 
  stiff, 
  dark-coloured 
  hairs 
  ; 
  they 
  are 
  somewhat 
  longer 
  on 
  

   the 
  dorsum 
  than 
  on 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  larva 
  (Hering, 
  Stett. 
  Ent. 
  Ztg., 
  1893, 
  p. 
  118). 
  

   Habits 
  of 
  larva: 
  It 
  lives, 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  July, 
  in 
  the 
  blossoms 
  of 
  Gentiana 
  

   pneumonantlie, 
  which 
  only 
  betray 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  the 
  larva 
  by 
  the 
  slightly 
  

   discoloured, 
  spotted, 
  exterior, 
  and 
  eats 
  out 
  the 
  disc 
  deep 
  into 
  the 
  stalk. 
  Many 
  

   larvae 
  bore 
  from 
  the 
  outside 
  into 
  the 
  blossoms 
  through 
  large 
  holes, 
  and 
  seem 
  to 
  

   change 
  often 
  from 
  one 
  flower 
  to 
  another. 
  Pupation 
  takes 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  usual 
  manner. 
  

   Pupa 
  : 
  The 
  pupa 
  is, 
  at 
  first, 
  pale 
  yellow-green, 
  and 
  becomes 
  gradually 
  darker 
  on 
  

   the 
  dorsum, 
  dark 
  violet-brown, 
  on 
  the 
  venter 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  wingcases 
  more 
  purely 
  

   dark 
  brown, 
  that 
  is, 
  sepia-colour. 
  The 
  coloration 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  very 
  variable. 
  In 
  

   shape 
  it 
  is 
  closest 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  S. 
  pelidnodactyla 
  and 
  serotina. 
  Time 
  of 
  appearance 
  : 
  

   The 
  imago 
  develops 
  as 
  early 
  as 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  July, 
  after 
  only 
  10 
  days' 
  rest 
  in 
  the 
  pupa, 
  

   and 
  flies 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  August 
  ; 
  probably 
  there 
  is 
  also 
  a 
  spring 
  brood, 
  anyhow, 
  

   Stange 
  took 
  some, 
  already 
  very 
  worn, 
  examples 
  on 
  June 
  24th. 
  Distribution 
  : 
  

   S. 
  var. 
  pneumonantlies 
  occurs 
  near 
  Berlin 
  (Finkenkrug), 
  Spandau, 
  Stettin, 
  on 
  the 
  

   island 
  of 
  Misdroy, 
  also 
  near 
  Breslau, 
  Hanover, 
  and 
  near 
  Karlsruhe 
  (Reutti) 
  (Hofmann). 
  

  

  Hofmann 
  notes 
  (Deutsch. 
  Pteroph., 
  pp. 
  87-88): 
  " 
  Forewings 
  8mm.- 
  

   11mm. 
  It 
  is 
  distinguished 
  from 
  the 
  type 
  by 
  the 
  much 
  purer 
  grey 
  

   ground 
  colour, 
  while 
  in 
  the 
  latter 
  the 
  brown 
  predominates, 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  

   less 
  contrast 
  to 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  wing 
  of 
  the 
  inner 
  margin, 
  that 
  being 
  

   only 
  somewhat 
  paler 
  (not 
  yellowish 
  or 
  whitish). 
  The 
  discoidal 
  spot 
  

   is 
  rarely 
  distinct. 
  The 
  fissural 
  dots 
  are, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  type, 
  often 
  partly 
  

   obliterated, 
  or 
  united, 
  or 
  form 
  a 
  transverse 
  streak, 
  the 
  upper 
  one 
  

   often 
  quite 
  absent 
  ; 
  the 
  pale 
  yellow-brown 
  space 
  between 
  the 
  fissural 
  

   dots 
  and 
  the 
  fissure, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  pale 
  space 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  

   lobe, 
  is 
  absent. 
  The 
  black 
  longitudinal 
  streaks 
  in 
  the 
  lobes 
  are 
  

   rarely 
  well 
  expressed, 
  usually 
  both 
  in 
  the 
  upper 
  and 
  lower 
  lobes, 
  

   they 
  are 
  very 
  indistinct 
  or 
  quite 
  absent. 
  The 
  white, 
  oblique, 
  

   transverse 
  line 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  lobe 
  runs 
  on 
  one 
  side 
  into 
  the 
  fringes 
  of 
  

  

  