376 
EPICOMA. By Dr. E. Strand. 
tristis. 
contristis. 
pontificalis. 
derbyana. 
melanos- 
iicta. 
walkeri. 
melano- 
spila. 
2 as from 4, 5 about equidistant from 4 and 6, 6 and 7 being stalked, 8 for a long distance very near to 7 though 
not connected with it. Thorax and head clad with long, projecting and bristly hairs, the wings densely covered 
with mostly smooth and frequently remarkably large scales, abdomen mostly with appressed hair and scales, 
in the with an anal tuft, in the $ with anal wool, and besides the last ventral segments may be clad with 
dense and projecting hairs. Hind tibiae only with terminal spurs. 
E. tristis Lew. (46 g, 57 b). $ forewing with a whitish ground-colour, rather densely and finely speckled 
with brownish, so that at first sight the ground-colour is rather inconspicuous, with a large jet-black irregularly 
quadrangular discocellular spot enclosing a light spot, a row of purely white, brown-edged marginal spots, and 
dark fringe with yellow spots. Costal margin and posterior margin slightly darker. Hindwing black with small 
white marginal spots and yellow, scantily brown-spotted fringe. Head and thorax brown, abdomen black with 
yellow spots and anal wool. Length of wings 20 mm. The <$ is smaller (length of wings 13— 14 mm) and the 
fore wing exhibits two blackish transverse bands almost parallel to the margin, the exterior band bordering 
on the white marginal spots, whilst the interior band touches the discocellular spot on its outside, where it is 
also connected with the exterior transverse band by a black longitudinal band. Outside and inside the discocellar 
spot there is one small purely white spot each. The abdomen is less spotted yellow than that of the $. Described 
from New South Wales. Sydney, Kockhampton; Brisbane. — contristis Hbn. (57 e). The £ is larger (length of 
fore wing 16 17 mm), the discocellular spot is smaller and isolated, the two black transverse bands are not 
connected by a similar longitudinal band, and the whole insect appears to be neater than tristis. Beneath the 
basal area of the forewing is bright yellow and both wings exhibit a yellow sublimbal band and yellow limbal 
spots. — The larva (50 mm long) of tristis Lew. is figured by Lewin as follows: ground blackish, each segment 
beginning from the 3rd or 4th shows above two light longitudinal stripes which are yellow in front and red 
behind, as well as a red median transverse band, besides a light longitudinal band extends over the sides, but 
all these bands are rather inconspicuous; head in front yellow with a black angular marking, behind reddish. 
Hairing apparently reddish and brownish. Larva found in January on Pultenoea villosa Willd, pupating in 
February and yielding the imago in March; the pupa rests in a loose brownish web which is fastened underneath 
branches of the food-plant and very insufficiently covered by leaves that are spun together. The larva of Epic, 
tristis is generally very slow and lazy and is mostly found clinging to low plants. 
E. pontificalis Rosenst. is very similar to E. contristis Hbn., but: 1) the exterior border of the yellow 
discal area on the forewing beneath is quite straight instead of being indented in the middle, 2) on the hindwing 
beneath there is no yellow submarginal band present (in accordance with E. tristis Lew., which however lacks 
this band also in the forewing), 3) the abdomen has but one yellow spot on the centre of the dorsal area. South 
Australia. 
E. derbyana sp.nov. (46 g, 57 b). <$ expanse of wings: 28 mm. Above black with black fringes and 
yellowish markings (cf. fig. 46 g). Head and thorax brownish-yellow, abdomen black with an orange yellowish 
anal brush. Beneath the wings are black, in the forewing towards the base a little lighter, all the wings with 
light marginal spots as above, the fringes with traces of light punctiform spots or streaks. Legs blackish. 
Derby (Coll. Seitz). Certainly closely allied with E. tristis. 
E. melanosticta Don. has glossy silvery white forewings with two narrow postmedian yellow oblique 
bands subparallel to the margin, a yellow, black-ringed, transverse discocellular spot and indistinctly darker 
speckled fringe. Hindwing yellow with two blackish blurred bands almost parallel to the costal margin which 
are connected with each other and with the margin by dark longitudinal streaks. Head and thorax white, 
antennae blackish like the abdomen. Hindwing sometimes altogether blackened. Expanse of wings: 38 mm. 
— Sydney, Kuranda. 
E. walkeri Strand nom. nov. *) (= melanosticta Wlcr. nee Don.) (57 b) like melanosticta has silvery white 
forewings which, however, exhibit a roundish jet-black discocellular spot and a black postmedian transverse 
band touching or almost touching the former, as well as blackish dusting along the posterior margin; costal 
margin also black though very narrow. Hindwing for the greatest part blackened resp. the two bands in 
melanosticta are here confluent. Head and collar white, rest of body black with yellow transverse bands on the 
abdomen and a yellow anal tuft. Expanse of wings: 35 mm. Sydney. 
E. melanospila Wallgr. (57 b) with a silvery white forewing, without bands but with a large jet-black 
discocellular spot and a black margin with more or less blackened fringe. Sydney. 
*) In honour of Francis Walker, one of the most eminent entomologists that ever lived, but who just for this reason 
has been calumniated and insulted by envious and narrow-minded “colleagues” and whose memory is still mocked and sullied 
by thoughtless and dishonest prattlers who thereby try to pose as superior explorers. (Strand.) 
