8388 



Insects. 



Sp. 1. Lithosia cereola. [No British example]. 



Sp. 2. Lithosia unita. 

 Le manteaujaune, Geoff, ii. p. 192 (1762) ; Engr. 219, «, b, c= Unita, 

 Wien. Verz. C. 2; pi. 93, fig. 6, 7; 5or&. 80; 



-Mew. Afa<7. ii. p. 212 ; *SW*r. 1505 = Aureola, Hb. 98 ; God. p. 

 395, pi. 40, fig. 5; O^. iii. p. 140 ; Bdv. Icon. p. 107, pi. 58, 

 f. 2 ; Steph. p. 94, pi. 18 ; Wood, 98 ; JFVey, pi. 380, fig. 3. ; 

 Herr.-Sch. p. 158 = Luteola, View. No. 4 — Aurantia, Haw. 

 p. 147, No. 5. 



A he anticae vivide ochraceae, unicolores, costa valde convexa ; sub- 

 tus atro-griseae, margine luteo, vittaque costali usque ad medium 

 (in mare) lutea. Alae posticae dilutiores utrinque immaculatae. 

 Thorax vivide ochraceus ; abdomen griseum, ano luteo ; cor- 

 pore subtus pedibusque nigris. Foemina paullo minor. 



This is one of the most widely distributed of our species, and 

 inhabits almost every country of Europe. It is found in May, in 

 warm and elevated woods, under the leaves of trees, whence it may 

 be obtained by beating. 



The larva has some similarity to those of L. quadra and L. rubri- 

 collis ; it is, moreover, slightly depressed above, and has shorter 

 hairs than those species, but more than either L. complana or L. 

 caniola, especially on the sides : it is of a yellow-gray colour marbled 

 with dull green, with the usual warts, the hinder ones being larger 

 and of an orange-yellow colour : the dorsal stripe is black ; the sub- 

 dorsal stripes waved, and formed by the aggregation of black 

 maiblings : on the 2nd, 3rd, 7th and 11th segments the trapezoid 

 markings are obscured with black, and adorned posteriorly with a 

 white dorsal spot. It feeds in August, on the lichens of different 

 trees. 



This Lithosia is clearly L. unita of all the older writers, — a very 

 appropriate name, and one which instantly reminds us of a character 

 which, together with the shape of the superior wings, enables us 

 to recognize the species at the first glance. It has therefore been a 

 great mistake to transfer the name " unita " to another species, and I 

 think it nothing more than just to restore the name as originally em- 

 ployed, without expressing any annoyance at the trouble of making 

 this alteration in our collections. We may also observe that the 

 name " unita," taken from this species, has not been subsequently 

 employed with any uniformity. 



