HALISIDOTA. By Dr. A. Seitz. 
403 
Th. debilis Schs., from Mexico and Central America, is unknown to me. Expanse of wings: 31 mm. debilh-. 
Body and forewings light brownish-yellow, the hindwings with numerous, undulate transverse lines, an ante- 
median line is bordered by greyish shades, and a similar one extends from the subcostal through the middle 
to the proximal margin. On the tegulae and the transverse vein 1 black dot each; hindwings yellowish-white. 
87. Genus: Hsilisictota Hbn. 
A collective genus of very numerous, often rather similar and transitory species, which lias several 
times been divided into subordinate groups ( Euhalisidota , Schau-sia, Euschausia etc.). The prevailing colour 
is a straw-colour, the chief marking consisting of annular rows parallel to the border, mostly only noughts 
or ovals of the ground-colour, sometimes, however, also filled with white. Some species exhibit also cell-end 
shades in the forewing, and the of certain species have scent-pads in various places of the wing. Proboscis 
always strong, palpi bent up and of medium length, with long middle and stunted terminal joints, body of 
the (J pointed, of the $ cylindrical, but not essentially swollen. The venation is not quite homogeneous in the 
genus. The 2nd subcostal vein of the forewing may branch off before and behind the cell-end. Also the antennae 
may have long or also short teeth in the <$. More typical is the larva, i. e. as far as its early stages are known 
hitherto. In its anterior part there are some thin long hair-pencils mostly pointing forward, whilst in the posterior 
part there are 2 to 4 of them pointing backward, the dorsum itself being rather uniformly haired. Pupa mostly 
in a thin, but very equally worked cocoon. 
More than 250 names have been given to the species of the genus, but the delimitation of the species 
from each other and the homogeneousness of the forms is still very imperfectly known. Many species are extra¬ 
ordinarily wide-spread and are found without any conspicuous deviations from South Canada to Buenos Ayres, 
and there is hardly any place in Tropical America where there is not at least one Halisidota- species to be found. 
Some species are, moreover, very common, particularly on the light. All seek their food, have an active proboscis 
and seem to visit the saps of fruit as well as blossoms. In day-time they are not very much inclined to fly, but 
by means of their agile legs they are able to move quickly, in spite of the structure of the being sometimes 
clumsy. The butterflies, whilst creeping around with their long legs, their shuffling bodies, their long, groping 
antennae and the long wings shoved together posteriorly, entirely resemble the Rhodogastria of the east. 
When grasping the animal, and particularly when pressing the thorax with one’s fingers, the body 
proves to be very elastic and succulent. The sap exuding from the glands at the neck in the shape of drops, 
has on oily smell and consistency. The Halisidota are very tenacious of life. 
H. catenulata Hbn. (57 g). The smallest species of the genus, rather similar to the species of the catenulata. 
preceding genus ( Thalesa ); forewing yellow with a dark proximal margin, transverse rows of brownish rings 
and brown transverse bands, of which in typical specimens mostly an antemedian and a postmedian stripe 
are distinct. -—- In the form sesia Sepp there is in addition yet a proximal (basal), a median and a shortened sesia. 
subapical, dark brown stripe, whereas contrarily to walkeri Rothsch. only the postmedian stripe is distinctly walkcri. 
prominent. — Larva white and white-haired with a yellowish-brown head, green anterior end, and black dorsal 
spot an the 2nd segment. Across the dorsum runs a dark longitudinal stripe. The pencils at the anterior end are 
pointing obliquely forward, those at the posterior end backward. It lives on Inga vera, and in a white web 
similar to a bird’s egg it changes into a green pupa yielding the imago after a fortnight. From Mexico to Argen¬ 
tina and Bolivia, also in Cuba, nearly everywhere common. 
H. polyodonta Hmps. (57 g). Slightly larger, likewise yellow, but somewhat darker, the forewing pohjodontu. 
without the dark transverse stripes of the preceding species, with rows of small dark dots; below the cell-end 
a nebulous spot. From Trinidad through Venezuela, the Amazon District and Colombia as far as Ecuador 
and Peru. 
H. subannula Hmps. (57 g). Somewhat larger than the preceding, pale yellow, the forewings with subannula. 
faint traces of the undulate lines, or rows of small dots, but with distinct dark transverse lines, 3 of which are 
in the basal third, behind the middle, and one in the marginal third. At the end of the cell on the forewing 
above a dark dot, and below the middle of the costa on the hindwing beneath a brown ring. Costa Rica, Peru. 
H. annulosa Wlcr. (= nimbifacta Dyar) (57 g). Like the preceding rather small, pale yellow, the annulosa. 
brownish undulate lines complete, but rather indistinct; distinct only a somewhat curved, oblique transverse 
streak through the middle of the forewing. No dark marginal dots; the brownish inner-marginal streak of the 
forewing quite faint. —■ In the form niveigutta Wkr. there is behind the loAver cell-angle of the forewing a small, niveigutta. 
silvery white guttiform spot, Mexico. 
H. texta H.-Schaff. (= thyophora Schs.) (57 g) is similar, larger; instead of one median there are te.vta. 
here 2 brown transverse stripes in the forewing, an antemedian and a postmedian one. Both come from brown, 
triangular, small costal spots. The inner-marginal stripe is distinct and of a deep brown in Mexican speci- 
