Publ. 2. I. 1932. 
CALLEDEMA. By Dr. M. Dbatidt. 
905 
When early stages come to be better explored, a large number of American Notodontid larvae will 
presumably prove to feed from Monocotyledons. The colouring and marking of some species, such as Pronerice 
disjuncta, is so peculiarly adapted to the stalk of a reed that only a Typhacea or Graminea can serve these 
lepidoptera as its place of repose, if not as food. This would only correspond to the cases mentioned in the 
Indian part of this work, where the Norraca were stated to be adapted to a bamboo-leaf and the Dinara (Anti- 
cyra j to a broad blade of grass or reed, to such a degree that one may readily assume a connection of the 
lepidopteron with these plants. 
The Notodontidae generally vary little geographically, nor does the seasonal dimorphism noticeably 
occur in many double-breeding species, and the sexes are generally more alike than in most of the other 
Heterocera- families. Nevertheless there are some of the American Notodontidae which also exhibit very strange 
sexual differences. For instance, the $ of the species Antiora subfulva Wkr. (ochromixta H.-Schdff.) differs 
so much from the small $ that it seems to belong to quite a different genus, i. e. the genus Lobeza which is 
very widely separated from the Antiora. 
As to the system of the Notodontidae, i. e. the grouping and order of the genera, the various authors 
deviate considerably from one another, which fact is due to the different genera being rather closely allied. 
In those cases where the larvae are particularly much alike, the imagines, as we mentioned above, exhibit 
little conformity, and vice versa. Yet we do not meet with many gross errors in ancient literature. Colax 
a-pitlus Or., for instance, was sometimes mistaken for a Sphingida, probably owing to the approximate habitus 
of a Parum colligata (Vol. II, pi. 38 b); this does not appear to be such a great mistake, since the Sphingidae 
have presumably sprung from this very group. The Nystalea virgula Fldr. shows an exterior, shaped somewhat 
like the Sphingid group of Chaerocampinae. Moreover, the vast genus of Hemiceras (containing more than 
150 forms) was assigned to the Noctuae, probably chiefly owing to the strongly developed proboscis. Nearly 
all the Notodontidae exhibit the beginnings of a proboscis, but in most of the American forms it is, as in all 
the boreal and European species, without any function, mostly only a stunted, feeble thread. That is also 
the reason why, owing to the impossibility of taking food, the species lacking a proboscis have a very short 
life as imagines, limited to a few days which are entirely spent in copulating and depositing eggs. 
The lack of an internal protection which, on the one hand, has led to almost fantastic adaptations to 
the surroundings, on the other hand also forbids, of course, glaring colours whereby the lepidopteron would 
only be disclosed to its enemies as a savoury prey. We therefore find, for instance, orange colours but very 
rarely in the Notodontidae, and then only in the hindwing (of the genus Ruda) which, however, is covered by 
the forewing when the lepidopteron is in repose. Sometimes the protection is more important for the $ for 
the sake of preserving the species — as it is also better developed in the whole insect kingdom — than in 
the <$) for instance in the common Dicentria xylinoules the $ of which, resting on dry leaves or old wood, is 
hardly to be recognized. 
1. Genus: Calleclema Btlr. 
A small number of well characterized species which are mostly distinguished by a silvery streak on 
the fore wing in the upper half of the postmedian or subterminal area. The long antennae are tuftedlv ciliated, 
the porrect palpi long, especially the second joint. The forewing has a pointed, often almost falcate apex; 
distal margin rounded in the upper half below which it extends obliquely to the inner angle. Vein 6 from 
the upper cell-angle, the 3 median subcostal branches arise on a joint stalk. 3 and 4 of hindwing arise from 
the same place at the lower cell-angle, 6 is stalked with 7. 
Type of genus: C. marmorea Btlr. 
C. marmorea Btlr. (143 a) is irregularly watered on dark blackish brown fore wings; the markings are marmorea. 
somewhat like those of the other species; transverse lines whitish, rather indistinct and irregular, a somewhat 
oblique white longitudinal streak extends from the cell-end to the margin, whereby the species also resembles 
certain species of the genus Pseudantiora. Hindwing brownish-grey. Colombia, Brazil. , 
C. sodalis Btlr. (143 a) approximates the next group of species. Forewing light red-brown, with fine sodalis. 
silvery white veins in the marginal area, interrupted by a white band which is curved S-like and is broad in 
the upper half, narrow below; a silvery white streak from the cell-end to the centre of the margin; a narrow 
brownish reniform macula at the cell-end. Hindwing brownish-grey, lighter towards the base. Brazil. 
C. plusia Fldr. (143 a) is darker purple brown than sodalis, with distinct blackish antemedian and plusia. 
postmedian transverse lines; the lower half of the median area before the postmedian line is darkened blackish; 
the silvery white subterminal band is narrower on the whole, removed more inwards and double in the upper 
half, the silvery longitudinal stripe also parted by a black longitudinal line. Hinclwing brownish-grey. Brasil. 
VI 114 
