CYANARCTIA. By Dr. A. Seitz. 327 
a rather similar impression of Prumala argyllis, Ischnocam-pa nigrivena, and Pachydota nervosa Fldr., all of 
which recall Halisidota anapheoides. But the resemblance is neither so astounding nor so unlike the forms of 
the nearest affinities, that we might notice a mimicry, i. e. an imitation obviously forcibly created by nature. 
There are only slight resemblances of poorly coloured markings, as we know in America also of the members 
of such families that have generally nothing to do with mimicry, such as Hesperids, Noctukls etc. We only 
remind the reader of similarities between the Hesperid Potamanax unifasciata Fldr. and certain forms of the 
Erycinid Notheme eumeus F ., which may occur in all groups, often from quite different parts of the world. 
In the nearctic region the Phaegopterinae form that group of Arctiids which most closely approximates 
the Syntomidae. Before the finer details in the anatomical structure had been paid attention to, some genera, 
such as Belemnia , were reckoned directly among the Syntomidae. in fact, the separation of the two is also 
somewhat artificial, as we recognize from the life-history. Quite a number of Phaegopterinae- larvae are known, 
many of them since a very long time, and on looking at these peculiar larvae we might be inclined to number 
the imagines yielded therefrom rather among the Syntomidae than to the Arctiids. Peculiar, pencil-shaped 
hair-brushes project from the anterior and posterior parts of the larva like threatening horns. In Halisidota 
bactris these pencils are orange-red on a black ground, in Hal. rhomboides black or white on a red and blue ground. 
In Hal. catenulata they stand apart behind the larva’s neck like the sails of a windmill, and in Thalesa citrina 
all the rings between the anterior and posterior pencils exhibit lateral hair-brushes. The Automolis have 
on the 4th and 11th rings transverse hair-pads, behind which the long pencils are projecting. In Pelochyta 
arontes the 4th ring shows an enormous transverse pad parting the end of the larva’s head like a Spanish collar, 
followed by variegated dorsal brushes and followed by long, peculiarly shaped pencils, some of which are thickened 
at the ends. The name of the genus ,,Lophocampa“, which has been introduced for certain Halisidota , is derived 
from these peculiar tufts of the larvae, and some larvae, such as those of Eupseudosoma, are so very much surroun¬ 
ded by brushes, that they resemble a ball of wool and hair-flocks, from which the head of the larva is separated 
by a bow-net-shaped collar. Hitherto every genus of Phaegopterinae has, in discovering its larva, surprised us, 
by disclosing a novel shape; in the other groups of Arctiinae we find this peculiarity only sometimes indicated 
( Palustra , Isia ), but never developed to a similar extent. Certainly, however, the Syntomidae hereby resemble 
the Phaegopterinae, and in the Eucereum in America, the Euchromia in Asia and Africa we see larval shapes 
closely approximating them. At any rate we are entitled to regard the Phaegopterinae mentioned here as being 
closely allied to many Syntomidae, so that a certain conformity also in the exterior shape of the butterflies 
must be more than an accidental convergency. 
Beside the Euchromia, the palearctic genus Rhodogastria (Vol. X, p. 260 to 262, t. 25 d—g) exhibits 
an unmistakable affinity to the Phaegopterinae. Whosoever has chanced to observe the movements of the 
wings, the high-legged gait, the agility of the head in a Rhodogastria astreus, will be automatically reminded 
of the same peculiarities of Halisidota tessellaris. Even the flying to the light, the swarming, and the clumsy, 
somewhat A T europtera -like settling down and running about on an illuminated wall is remarkably the same 
in both. The secretion of protective oil, all the joints moving quickly, the extremely tenacious life and some 
more subordinate peculiarities may be mentioned here as connections between the two groups. In Africa the 
Phaegopterinae are represented by the group of butterflies formed by the genera Balacra, Metarctia and Apisa, 
which, however, are already numbered among the Syntomidae owing to the scanty neuration of the hindwings. 
The cocoons of the Phaegopterinae are nearly always uniformly, ovally woven and intermixed with 
hair of the larva, often exactly oviform, and loosely enclose the obtuse, faintly lustrous pupa. 
1. Genus: Cyaiiarctta Hmps. 
Proboscis strong; palpi porrect, strong, but with a rudimentary terminal joint. Antennae of more 
than half the costa’s length with rather long teeth. Thorax broad, abdomen short. On the long forewing the 
1st and 2nd subcostal veins rise before the end of the long, narrow cell. The uppermost median vein (last radial) 
rises from the lower cell-angle, the 2nd radial vein little above it. Hitherto 3 rather dissimilar species are known, 
having formerly been allotted to 2 different Syntomid genera. 
C. dama Drc. (42 b). From Mexico; blackish-grey with hyaline patches in the wings; the forewing 
shows a metallic blue reflection at the costal margin, a coppery reflection at the proximal margin. 
C. ruscia Drc. (42 b). From Bolivia. Lustrous blackish-brown with an oblique orange band of the 
forewing and some orange antemarginal spots of the hindwing. 
C. flavinigra Dogn. is founded upon a single $. In the forewing a very broad, yellow band extending 
towards the border immediately above the proximal angle. Hindwings quite black. West Colombia. 
dama. 
ruscia. 
flavinigra. 
