144 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



[July 



Variation — The species exhibits a shghtly dimorphic condition 

 in its two broods ; the first brood ( distans ) being generally darker and 

 more strongly marked ; the second brood being smaller, paler, and 

 brighter coloured, but with rather less distinct markings. The paler 

 form is the var. Icetus. Some of the first brood occasionally are pale, 

 while some of the second brood frequently approach the dark color- 

 ation more generally associated with the early brood. The comparative 

 rarity of the early brood led to the species being only known for so 

 many years as Icetus. The synonymy of var. latus is as follows : — 

 Listus, ZelL, " Isis" (1847), 903, "Linn. Ent. Zeit.," VI., 346; H.-S., 



P- 373 ; Mill. " Icon." I. , 333, Plate XXXIX., 7-1 1. Lmtidactylus, 

 Brd. "Ann. Soc. Fr.," 1861, 34, PI. II., 7. 



Larva — The larva of this species is unknown in Britain. In the 

 "Entomologist's Monthly Magazine," Vol. VI., p. 122, Dr. Jordan 

 writes : — " On the Continent 0. Icetus feeds on the flowers oi Andryala 

 siuuata ; it is probable that in England some species of Hiemcium 

 would be chosen." Mr. Stainton, Vol. VI., p. 36, mentions that 

 Mons. Milliere had noticed the larva in his " Iconographie," Vol. I., 

 p. 331, pi. 39. 



Pupa — Of the pupa also very little is known. Mr. Stainton 

 (" Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, Vol. VI., p. 36) writes : — " On 

 the 6th of May Monsieur Milliere sent me from Cannes a larva on 

 Andryala siniiata. This is a Composite plant, with the underside of 

 of the leaf clothed with fluffy down. The larva, which Vv^as that of a 

 plume already noticed by M. Milliere in his " Iconographie," Vol. I., 

 331, pi. 39, under the name of Oxyptilus Icetus, had already assumed 

 the pupa state before it reached me. But it had almost completely 

 buried itself in the fluffy down on the under side of one of the leaves, 

 and hence, instead of the pupa being fully exposed, as is usual with 

 the " Plume" pupae, whether they are naked like fiiscus, or hairy like 

 pentadactyhis, this was almost as well concealed as if it had been in a 

 cocoon, only a portion of the head end and a little piece of one side 

 being left exposed to view." 



Time of appearance, &c. — The species, as previously mentioned, 

 is double-brooded, occurring jirst in May and June, and again in July 

 and August. My own dates at Deal seem to be pretty continuous 

 from about the 28th of June to August loth, the time of the year I 

 the two broods, although there is no doubt they are distinct enough, 



