8366 



Insects, 



Group VI. 



14. N. ALNETELLA, Stt. 



Capillis ferrugineis, antennarum conchula flavida ; alis anterioribus 

 subnitidis, violaceo-aureis, apice nigro-caeruleis, fascia post 

 medium recta, lata, dilute aurea, nitida, ciliis apice obscure gri- 

 seis. Exp. al. 2 — 2j lin. 



Stainion, Ann. 1856, 43 ; Man. ii. 437. Fret/, Linn. Ent. xi. 457, 

 52. 



This and the two following species follow after the last species of the 

 preceding group, but are distinguished by the less shining and not 

 polished ground of the anterior wings. These in all are rather broad, 

 perceptibly dilated and rounded posteriorly; the fascia is nearly vertical, 

 rather beyond the middle of the wing, has straight margins and is highly 

 metallic ; the ground colour is darkened before it for a greater or less 

 extent, but only very slightly and scarcely perceptibly in N. alnetella ; 

 the apex of the wing is likewise dark to the fascia. The frontal tuft 

 is bright ferruginous ; the small cervical tuft ochreous-yellow ; the eye- 

 caps yellowish white ; the antennae short. 



The anterior wings of N. alnetella are pale golden brown, not very 

 glossy, darkened with a violet tinge, which is rather more intense 

 towards the fascia, and to which it sometimes forms a narrow dark 

 margin. The fascia is broad, sometimes as broad as the thorax, some- 

 times about one-half narrower; its colour is pale golden ; it is scarcely 

 so glossy as in the following species ; beyond it the ground colour is 

 blue-black or blackish with blue, not violet glitter, not shining; the 

 base of the cilia is also clothed with blue-black scales, which are rather 

 regularly edged ; beyond them the cilia are darker gray. The posterior 

 wings and their cilia are rather paler gray. Beneath all the wings are 

 fuscous ; the anterior darker ; the abdomen has somewhat of a greenish 

 bronzy tint ; the legs are blackish ; the middle tibiae scarcely paler. 



Of the species of the preceding group only N. aurella and the male 

 of N. marginicolella can be confused with N. alnetella, from the ferru- 

 ginous colour of the frontal tuft. But in both these the anterior wings 

 before the fascia are much more shining, smooth, and without a violet 

 tinge ; beyond the fascia they are dark purple-brown and not blue ; 

 besides, N. aurella has narrower and longer anterior wings, and in N. 

 marginicolella the fascia is pure silvery. N. dulcella and N. continu- 

 ella have still less glossiness on the surface of the wings, and the fascia 

 is narrower, purer silver and more shining, and with a distinct and 



